Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background
In the 21st century India is fast emerging as a global power but for half of its
population, the women across the country, struggle to live life with dignity
continues. Women are facing problems in every sphere of life whether
employment, access to health care or property rights. The attention required is
still not being paid to the issues that concern this section of population. Women
empowerment in India is still a distant dream. There still exists a wide gap
between the goals enunciated in the constitution, legislation, policies, plans,
programs and related mechanisms on the one hand and the situational reality of
the status of women in India, on the other hand. India is fast developing but
women in India continue to be discriminated.
The declining sex ratio in India amply portrays the discrimination shown towards
women at the stage of birth. Women may be have stardom in any stream but
are getting harassment every day by their surroundings. They are victims of
crime directed specifically at them, rape, kidnapping and abduction, dowryrelated crimes, molestation, sexual harassment, eve-teasing, etc. Around 40 per
cent of married women in India are victims of domestic violence. The increasing
violence against women shown in television and films and their vulgar portrayal
as objects of sex is also an important contributing factor in the escalating
violence against women in India. The crimes against women in India are growing
at a rampant speed. Women, irrespective of their class, caste and educational
status, are not safe.

As a result of the cultural and economic factors, women face discrimination right
from the childhood. Poverty affects the woman most in as much as the female
members in the family are denied education, healthcare, nutritious food, and
good sanitation because of poverty. Poverty directly affects the future of
women. Girl children are discriminated in the matter of feeding compared to

boys. The educational, economic, political and social backwardness of women

makes them the largest group hindering the process of social change.

In India, violence within the home is universal across culture, religion, class and
ethnicity. The abuse is generally condoned by social custom and considered a
part and parcel of marital life. Statistics reveal a grim picture of domestic
violence in
India. The National Crimes Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of
India reports a shocking 71.5% increase in instances of torture and dowry
deaths during the period from 1991 to 1995. In 1995, torture of women
constituted 29.25% of all reported crimes against women. More than 9, 5000
women are killed every year in India over dowry. While Bihar and Uttar Pradesh
still record the maximum number of dowry crimes, Bangalore, India's fastest
growing city also shows an alarming rise of dowry harassment and domestic
violence. Rape is the fastest growing crime in the country today and as many as
18 women are assaulted in some form or the other every hour across India.

Rehabilitation, psychological healing and empowering these victims is at most

necessary for the development of society as well.
For a victim of rehabilitation it is a combination of psychological healing,
economic empowerment and gaining of civic identity.
According to Cambridge English Dictionary empowerment' means to authorize'.
In the context of the people, they have to be authorized to have control over
their own lives. When applied in the context of development of the particular
segment of population, the women have to be empowered' to have control over
their own lives to better their socio- economic and political conditions. Thus,
women empowerment can be interpreted as totality of empowerment including
political, social, cultural, and other dimension of human life as also the physical,
moral and intellectual. Empowerment of women unlocks the door for
modernization of any society.
Empowerment comes with self-confidence, education and potential personality
development training, which has to be given to the women especially, who are
victims of various crimes, including destitute women, battered women, etc.
Rehabilitation is mostly about bringing positive feelings to the fore and helping
to build a new identity for members of the inmates, then architecture design is
the most decisive of factors in how space is utilized, both in practical terms and
landscape wise, to uplift the spirit and provide the necessary environment in
which the inmates daily life and activities can become most effective.
The rehabilitation center is a place which provides social/ communal,
recreational and informational facilitates and services. The purpose is to
facilitate the inmates to adjust them as well as to integrate them back to the
society through self-development and community participation. The
architectural space here refers to inclusive environment which is designed to
provide confidentiality, freedom, security and importantly comfort for its
occupants, apart from the vocational training facilitates.
By rehabilitation, we can Empower, Build and Elevate the status of Women in
the society, and increase the access to information and education, as well as
providing safe environment for healing.
Ministry of Women and Child development has come up with various schemes
for the rehabilitation and empowerment of Women of all age groups, with a
vision of Empowering women, living with dignity, contributing as equal partners
in development of society in an environment free from violence and
discrimination for growth and development in a safe and protective
environment.
Various Plans include

 STEP (Support to training & Employment program for Women)

STEP Scheme was launched as Central Sector Scheme in 1986-87 with a view to
make significant impact on women by upgrading skills for employment on
sustainable basis and income generation for marginalized and asset-less rural
and urban women especially those in SC/ST households and families below
poverty line.
The key strategies include training for skill development, mobilizing women in
viable groups, arranging for marketing linkages and access to credit. The
scheme covers ten sectors of employment i.e. agriculture, animal husbandry,
dairying, fisheries, handlooms, handicrafts, khadi and village industries,
sericulture, waste land development and socio-forestry. The Government of
India share is 90% of the cost project.
RMK Rashtriya Mahila Kosh for micro entrepreneurs.
SWADHAR Greh :
Swadhar Scheme was launched in year 2001-02 as a Central Sector Scheme for
the benefit of women in difficult circumstances.
OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME

to provide primary need of shelter, food, clothing and care to the

marginalized women/girls living in difficult circumstances who are without
any social and economic support;
to provide emotional support and counseling to such women
to arrange for specific clinical, legal and other support for women/girls in
need; and
to provide for help line or other facilities to such women in distress.

Hostel for Working Women

UJJAWALA Program
Ujjawala is a Comprehensive Central Sector Scheme to combat trafficking,
launched on 4th December, 2007. The scheme has five components viz.,
Prevention, Rescue, Rehabilitation and Re-Integration of Victims of Trafficking
and Commercial Sexual Exploitation. The fund under the scheme is released
to the implementing agencies which mainly includes NGOs. The Government of
India share is 90% of the total cost of the project.
SABLA
NMEW nation mission for empowerment of Women, etc

1.2 Objective
The main objective of this study is to understand the various problems faced by
Women and to design a Rehabilitation center and short / long stay home which
offers Shelter and emotional counseling for battered women and children at
risk, and empowerment of the destitute, battered, or abused women with
holistic healing environment and to provide vocational/ skill training facilities so
that they can be self-sufficient and to become a productive worker to support
herself and her dependents, and as well as help for the economic and social
development of the country.

1.3 Scope
The scope would be to focus on the rehabilitation Centre in particular while the
study and research will be done in order to better understand the requirements
and, in general, the problems faced by battered and destitute Women in India
and the need for Shelter / or empowerment of such Women.