Arogya Agam secretary Elamathi Arul speaking at the south zone NGO network consultation meeting in Madurai on Tuesday. Arogya Agam here on Tuesday convened a south zone NGO network consultation bringing together 36 representatives from 19 organisations working on gender equality, women’s rights, and domestic violence prevention.The meeting provided a platform for participants to share field experiences, examine implementation challenges, and draft joint recommendations for State-level policies and institutional support systems.Organisation secretary Elamathi Arul outlined the objectives of the gathering, emphasising the need for collaborative strategies among civil society groups, government departments, and communities.Following discussions, the participants released a set of proposals focused on four main areas: prevention and education, support services, welfare provisions, and government accountability.To improve prevention, the participants recommended introducing gender equality and age-appropriate sex education in schools and colleges, alongside structured awareness programmes for young couples and male youth.They also called for the appointment of counsellors in all government schools to provide psychosocial support to students, and urged broader media campaigns to address social norms and discrimination.In the area of support services, the network proposed establishing a One Stop Centre in every taluk and appointing assistant protection officers to manage field cases.They stressed the need for better coordination among protection officers, police, and non-governmental organisations.
Recommendations for police services included increasing the number of All-Women Police Stations, providing regular refresher training for personnel on gender sensitivity and legal provisions, ensuring respectful treatment of survivors, and allowing women and children affected by violence to use the 108 ambulance helpline to reach emergency services and support centres.Regarding child protection and family welfare, the participants urged authorities to provide educational scholarships and priority access to higher education for children of women who have experienced domestic violence.They suggested administrative mechanisms to hold husbands financially responsible for their children’s education while legal cases remain pending, monitored by local police child welfare officers.Additional proposals included allowing male children over ten years old to stay with their mothers in shelters without separation, and utilising village-level child protection committees to prevent school dropouts, child labour, and child marriage resulting from domestic situations. Published - November 03, 2026 10:09 pm IST