Overview
- Vijaya Rahatkar, speaking at a national conference of protection officers on Wednesday, told officials to make the first interaction with a woman in distress prompt, empathetic, and focused on immediate safety and correct referral.
- She framed protection officers as the statutory frontline under the 2005 Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act and said their success should be judged by whether women get timely protection and understand their rights, not by file counts.
- Rahatkar called for a 'One Woman, One Support System' that links police, protection officers, legal services, medical providers, shelter homes, counsellors and NGOs so a woman does not have to move between offices to get help.
- She urged ongoing, practical training and stronger district-level support networks so officers gain field experience, while stressing that technology and helplines should speed responses but not replace human sensitivity.
- The NCW chief highlighted prevention through awareness, legal literacy and economic empowerment and said responses must account for children’s safety, emotional well-being and continuity of education as part of protecting women in practice.