'Delhi Commission for Women to interview each woman/child inmate at shelter homes'

NEW DELHI: A day after Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) decided to audit the city's shelter homes, its chairperson Swati Maliwal told TNIE that they will interview all women and child inmates at the shelter homes to run a reality check on the functioning of the homes in the national capital. Detailed conversations will help the commission assess the ground realities at these homes. Surprise visits are the only way forward to take corrective measures, she told in an interview.

"We want to conduct a proper social audit to asses each and every home with a holistic perspective. We want to engage in detailed conversations with women and children inmates of shelter homes to find if something similar, as found at shelter homes in other states, is taking place under our noses," Maliwal said.

The DCW chief said only strong political will can help achieve this. "The only mechanism that would help ensure the homes comply with the guidelines is political will. Surprise visits and inspections are required."

Sharing anecdotes from her earlier visits to shelter homes in Delhi, Maliwal said, "When I went to Asha Kiran, I found women were made to stand naked while taking bath in the corridors where CCTV cameras were installed. When I went and checked, I found these footage were browsed up by men. We clamped down on this. How is it possible that the officers of the Women and Child Department are not in knowledge of this? They don’t know this because they don’t visit the homes."

Maliwal said when officials visit the homes, it is usually on advance notice which ensures that the ground reality does not surface during the visit.

After Muzaffarpur, cases of women missing were reported from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh. The DCW has given the expert panel three months to submit the social audit report.