“Women Power Line 1090” bringing a revolutionary change in Uttar Pradesh

The Women Power Line has been initiated by the Uttar Pradesh government on November 15, 2012. It has come into existence under the efficient leadership of Shri Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief Minister of UP. Headed by Navneet Sekera, the power line is being operated by the Uttar Pradesh Police department and is a “one-state-one-number service”. The helpline number for the women power line is 1090 which is available 24/7. The role of the women power line is to deal with the harassment cases by vulgar and abusive callers within the state itself.

Recently a delegation of 9 Indian ambassadors was on a 3-day tour to Uttar Pradesh. They visited UP in order to know about its growth and development. Leaving aside their busy schedule, they also visited the 1090 head office on June 02, 2016 in Lucknow, the capital of UP. The working system of the 1090 Women power line very much attracted them and they were highly influenced by it. It was a matter of huge success on behalf of the 1090 helpline.

This helpline empowers women from all kinds of harassment and also looks into their safety matters. 1090 is a toll-free number that assists the women and provides help to the harassed ones and also to those who are suffering from any kind of antisocial disturbance or behavior. The protection provided through this power line is quick, efficient and effective. It ensures the rights related to women and girls. The power line 1090 deals with the crime offences that a woman faces and also tries to monitor and control these kinds of harassments.

The helpline number 1090 can be accessed from anywhere and women can file a complaint against any kind of harassment cases. In order to ensure their protection, the identity of the woman who lodges a complaint is kept secret. The helpline calls are being attended by the women constables and they provide timely help to the female citizens. After this, legal actions are being taken against the reported culprit.

The reason why the women power line has been introduced is also due to the increased rate of ragging cases in the universities there. So to curb these harassment cases the UP government has introduced this helpline. It is because of these kinds of antisocial activities that the UP government has taken a step towards providing a safety to the women citizens. According to Navneet Sikera, the Inspector General of the 1090 Power Line, till now 3,88,658 cases has been resolved. Also the “Women Security App 1090” has been launched to add on to the services provided by this power line in 2014.

The Women Power Line is based on 3 key pillars which are as follows:

Listen - It maintains a 24/7 helpline that has a woman constable to attend the phone calls of the harassed victims. It also ensures that all the details are kept confidential.

Solve - First a counseling of the accused is held along with the family members also. It tries to solve the problem through this process.

Sustain - For about 3 months, the police maintains contact with the victim. After that, the victim is kept under observation for 24 months before finally closing the case.

The important features for the Women power line 1090 have been enlisted below:

• It is not necessary to visit any police station to file a complaint.
• The identity of the victims is not revealed in order to maintain protection and ensure security.
• The phone calls are attended by the lady constables.
• The helpline number 1090 is valid within the entire state.
• The police remain in touch with the victim until the case has been solved.
• Once a complaint has been registered, a reference id is sent to the victim.

One of the most motivating factors for this unique initiative is the great response it has been receiving from the women in the rural areas. Women from their homes, situated even in the remotest of places, are now able to lodge their complaints. Through this online platform, women get their online passwords and can login multiple times to see the action taken against their complaints. They are also able to upload relevant images and videos of proof, which may help in speedy redressal of their grievances. Another comforting factor for the women is that these cases are being personally monitored by Sutapa Sanyal, ADG of UP Police. As soon as these issues are raised by the women through Women Power Line 1090, the cases are being forwarded to the officials of the respective Police departments ranging from the SP to the IG and DIG levels.

This kind of service introduced by the UP government is very helpful for the safety of women within the state. It has been of a great help to all the women providing them peace of mind. Ensuring women safety and security of girls is the main aim of this Women power line 1090, thus generating women empowerment within Uttar Pradesh. It has been considered as one of the most effective tools against eve teasing, molestation, harassment, abusing and other criminal offences related to women. It also encourages the women to raise their voices against any kind of harassment. The Women Power Line 1090 is definitely bringing about a revolutionary change within the society, helping reduce the crime rates across UP.


Written by Anisha Dutta
She is a content evangelist who believes that the Science of today is the Technology of tomorrow.