Ramola Bhar Charitable Trust, Project STOP organised a State Wide Consultation on Collaborative Action on Women and Child Protection in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, bringing together government departments, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organisations to strengthen coordination on issues affecting women and children.
The consultation began with a welcome by Roma Debabrata, Founder of RBCT, followed by an introduction from Narayani Bhattacharya, Documentation Officer, who outlined STOP’s work and highlighted key concerns such as unsafe migration, trafficking, violence, and cyber enabled exploitation in the state. Smritikana Ghosh Paul, Executive Director, STOP, presented the statutory roles of participating departments, shared insights from NCRB data, and emphasised the need for stronger inter departmental coordination across prevention, rescue, legal action, and rehabilitation.
The discussion was further enriched by Vidya Negi from the State Women’s Commission, who reflected on the social construction of gender and how it contributes to discrimination and violence against women. Two panel discussions followed, focusing on preventive systems, community level interventions, and operational challenges related to trafficking, child labour, unsafe migration, and emerging risks. Representatives from the Women Police, Anti Human Trafficking Unit, Department of Women and Child Development, State Rural Livelihoods Mission, and civil society organisations shared field experiences and practical recommendations.
The consultation concluded with reflections on strengthening preventive mechanisms, improving coordination in rescue and legal processes, and ensuring long term care, rehabilitation, and capacity building. Closing remarks were shared by Keval Ram Siranta, Nodal Officer, Himachal Pradesh, and Rakesh Kumar from Youth Club Barog, outlining next steps for continued collaborative action across the state.
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