Activists Rally to Save Women's Support Cells in Jammu and Kashmir

Over 600 women's rights activists have appealed to Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah to intervene against the closure of special cells for women due to funding cuts. The cells, offering essential support to abuse survivors, face closure, threatening progress on gender-based violence.

A coalition of over 600 women's rights activists, intellectuals, and professionals has urgently appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeking intervention to halt the proposed closure of special cells for women due to discontinued funding by the National Commission for Women (NCW).

Led by prominent figures such as Shabnam Hashmi and Dr. Syeda Hameed, the activists highlight the critical role these cells have played since their inception under the Violence-Free Home initiative, supporting nearly 9,800 survivors of gender-based violence across all 20 districts.

The activists urge interim funding solutions and institutional support for these cells from the local Social Welfare and Home Departments, warning that their closure would undo years of progress in women's rights in the region, a sentiment shared in their detailed letter sent to key stakeholders.

(With inputs from agencies.)