Punjab government has taken a groundbreaking initiative towards improvement of women's safety in the state. Project hifazat is likely to be initiated in the Ludhiana district's Jamalpur area from the 1st week of March 2025. In this scheme, women who are facing physical, mental, or any type of violence can report on 181. This is a helpline number which will immediately take action within 10 minutes of report.
Project Hifazat will be India’s one-of-a-kind initiative to ensure swift intervention for women in distress. This project will be led by the Social Security, Women, and Child Development Department. They will be assigning special teams with modernized equipped vehicles to reach the victim fast.
How will Project Hifazat work?
Women who are experiencing violence can immediately give a call on 181. After receiving a call from the victim, Anganwadi workers and the official team will rush to the victim’s location. This initiative will operate as a one-stop centre, with coordination with the local police and other departments for prompt action.
Punjab’s Most Affected Areas
Based on official reports, five highly affected districts in Punjab have reported the highest number of women violence cases :
- Tarn Taran - 390 cases
- Amritsar - 323 cases
- Patiala - 306 cases
- Gurdaspur - 282 cases
- Sangrur - 266 cases
Whereas districts like Faridkot (104 cases), Mansa (93 cases), and Kapurthala (56 cases) has recorded the lowest no. of violence cases in Punjab.
Why is the government starting Project Hifazat?
Punjab has recorded 4,309 women violence cases within a time frame of 10 months from April 2024 to January 2025. It was observed that these violence cases are highly reported in the border districts of Punjab. Authorities realized that there are a lot of women who are suffering violence and could not seek help because of lack of awareness.
Dr. Baljit Kaur, Punjab’s Women & Child Development Minister, was quoted saying, "This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India that will ensure immediate action against crimes targeting women. The goal is to provide security and justice without delay." With this initiative, the Punjab government aims to strengthen women's security in the state.