After six months of Covid-19, the community has started to be normal & geared up for their daily work. The fear of pandemic is still in the people, but the need & willingness has made them come out of their houses. Seeing the passion among the women to learn, Caritas India Partner DEHAT took the initiative to dialogue with the Border forces & Police at the Indo-Nepal border for the Dual Interaction between the women so that they understand new things in the new normal. Around 45 women from different Self-Help Groups were included for this exposure visit to the Ideal Police Station at Indo-Nepal border Transit Point & meeting with Shashstra Seema Bal to know their functionality & the provisions. 

This learning exposure is not new under this program but during this pandemic, it is an additional effort at this moment from everyone who was involved in it. As we all know that the impact of Covid-19 has weakened the economic situation of many families and also resulted in many domestic violence cases. 

At this juncture when things are not normal, these women saw the ray of hope when they were called for an exposure visit to the Ideal Police Stations & meeting with the Police & SSB Jawan to know how they work and in what way they can be helpful.

This exposure helped these women to know the key functionalities of the Police station such as the process of filing FIR, services in Police Station & Special Police Units such as Child Welfare Protection officer & Women Powerline & women Police Stations services. These women learned how the Police Personnel work for Children and how the Child-friendly Police Corner in a Police Station helps the children to experience the conducive environment without fear when they are there.

Above all these women came across the most important learning on helpline numbers which is very much needed during the time of emergency. Though these women knew about the helpline numbers but the refresher has helped them to learn received assurance for support through these helpline numbers.

The remarkable incident after this meeting was seen when one of the women lodged a complaint to police for the ongoing domestic violence against his elder Sister. She was very much encouraged by the meeting that she couldn’t stop herself to speak on behalf of her sister in her traumatic situation.

During the visit of Shashastra Seema Bal at the Indo-Nepal border forces, these women were very excited to meet and talk to the women staff of border forces. The Border forces women personnel shared their experiences of working as a part of Indo-Nepal force and tackling the Victims of Trafficking. They updated these women that there is a reservation of women candidate living near the border villages to join the SSB and encouraged that if there want that their family women should be a part of SSB as an official they can fill the form for joining at the appropriate age. The Govt. and the Border forces invite application every year from the eligible women candidates. These women were very much Inspired from this information to connect themselves to the border forces once selected. From these words around half of the mothers of young girls assured that they will surely allow their daughters to join the services.