Gujarat: Abhayam 181 Women's helpline marks decade of empowerment, assists over 16.58 lakh women

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 18 (ANI): The initiative for women's safety, launched in March 2015 under the leadership of PM Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has now marked a decade.
According to the release, over the past 10 years, 16,58,892 women have turned to the Abhayam 181 Women Helpline for help during difficult moments.
The Chief Minister has played a pivotal role in supporting women, girls, adolescents, and children across Gujarat during times of crisis.
Whether facing domestic violence, harassment, or emotional distress, Abhayam has become a steady source of strength for many, reflecting the government's commitment to prioritising women's safety.
According to the release, Women of Gujarat continue to receive free, 24/7 support through Abhayam 181 Women Helpline. To ensure timely assistance during moments of distress, 59 rescue vans are operational across the state.
Of these, 12 serve Ahmedabad city under the Safe City Project. In emergencies, these vans reach the location with a trained counsellor, offering immediate help and compassionate resolution. So far, 3.31 lakh women have been supported through these rescue vans, with 2.09 lakh cases resolved on the spot.
Services such as counselling and on-site intervention have become a lifeline for countless women facing emotional, domestic, or personal crises, offering not just solutions but also a sense of reassurance.
To make the service even more accessible, the Abhayam 181 mobile application was launched on August 6, 2018. Since then, over 2.73 lakh women have downloaded the app.
The Gujarat government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, continues to reaffirm its commitment to women's safety through sustained financial support for the Abhayam 181 Women Helpline.
Over the past three years, ₹37.78 crore has been allocated to strengthen and expand the helpline's reach. In 2022-23, ₹10.50 crore was allocated, followed by ₹12.50 crore in 2023-24, and ₹14.78 crore in 2024-25.
For the 2025-26 fiscal year, the government has approved a provision of ₹15.02 crore. These steady increases reflect the state's determined effort to build a stronger, more responsive, and dependable safety framework for women across Gujarat.
A skilled and responsive team has been established for the Abhayam 181 Women Helpline through the joint efforts of the Women and Child Development Department, the Home Department, GVK EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute), and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Women facing any kind of crisis can reach out by calling 181 at any time, from anywhere.
The helpline offers immediate support, including rescue assistance, guidance over the phone, and short and long-term counselling to help women move forward confidently. In cases of domestic or other forms of violence, an Abhayam rescue van is sent to the woman's location, and if needed, she is safely relocated to a secure environment.
The Abhayam 181 Women Helpline offers assistance across a wide range of issues affecting women, including domestic violence, physical, sexual, and mental harassment, financial exploitation, female foeticide, cybercrimes, marital or relationship conflicts, stalking, substance abuse recovery, child marriage, and concerns faced by homeless women.
Over the past decade, the helpline has helped countless women across Gujarat find timely and effective solutions to these challenges.
By calling 181, women can also obtain information about local support services, including women's police stations, police station-based support centres, free legal aid, family counselling centres, protection officers, and the Gujarat State Commission for Women. These services are available to all women in the state, including those visiting from across the country. (ANI)