A proposal to bring shelter based schemes for women and girls under the ‘Umbrella Scheme for Protection and Development of Women’ is under consideration of the Government. There are at present 311 ‘Swadhar Shelter Homes’ and 322 ‘Short Stay Homes’ functioning across the country.

The Government in the Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a shelter based rehabilitation scheme ‘Swadhar” for women in difficult circumstances. The beneficiaries include widows deserted by their families and relatives and left uncared near religious places where they are victims of exploitation; women prisoners released from jails; women survivors of natural disasters; women victims of terrorist/extremist violence and similarly placed women in difficult circumstances, who do not have any family support and without any economic means for survival. The beneficiaries are provided with primary need of shelter, food, clothing, counseling, medical and legal aid as also skill upgradation for economic rehabilitation.

Another shelter based scheme ‘Short Stay Home’ is being implemented by the Central Social Welfare Board under which 24 hours residential temporary accommodation, maintenance and rehabilitative services are provided to women and girls rendered homeless due to family discord, crime, violence, mental stress, social ostracism etc

Both these schemes are implemented mainly through the Non-Governmental organizations.

Funds to the tune of Rs. 269 lakhs have been released under Swadhar during the current year and Rs. 21.76 lakhs under ‘Short Stay Home Scheme’ in the current year.

This information was given by the Union Women and Child Development Minister, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in a written reply to Lok Sabha recently.