Vidya Joshi’s day starts at 6 am, with a few quiet moments. While the world sleeps, she and her husband start preparing for the day at dawn.
Vidya cooks meals for her family, while her husband prepares the children for school. Her life is full of dual responsibilities: on one hand, she is a devoted mother, and on the other, a strong advocate for victims of gender-based violence.
Amidst the morning rush, her 14-year-old daughter Gargi asks her in a hopeful voice, “Mom, will you come home early so that we can go shopping for clothes for the school’s annual function?”
Vidya doesn’t want to disappoint Gargi, so she nods and agrees. However, he knows that today is going to be a very busy day for him as he has to visit the One Stop Center (OSC) in Sikar, Rajasthan.
Vidya reaches office at 10 am. OSC is a safe place for victims of gender-based violence, it is like their second home.
Behind Grilled Gate is a team that provides shelter, counselling, compassionate care and medical and legal support to victims. Vidya, the administrator of this center and the operational backbone of OSC, is always ready for action.
Vidya says, “Our work is distributed in such a way that no victim is overlooked, be it day or night. “Emergencies can happen at any time, and I have to be available at all times.”
His role is very important. “Actually, it’s a 24×7 job, day and night, seven days a week,” he says.
Today started with the arrival of a young woman who came to the center with her child and mother. The mother pointed to her daughter and said, “Her husband is persistent Harassing her for dowry.”
Vidya listens to them patiently and asks the counselor to record the girl’s statement.
Vidya was standing up after the consultation when she heard a 16-year-old girl crying. This girl is sitting with her newborn baby in her arms. Vidya goes and sits near her, and takes the girl’s frail body in her arms and comforts her. The girl says she doesn’t want to go home. His speech had to be recorded by 12 o’clock, and it was already 11 o’clock.
This statement was recorded by the Magistrate under Section 164 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code, a legal provision for recording confessions during investigation.
Fortunately, legal counsel Madhu arrives soon so that the girl can be produced before the magistrate. This important step will pave the way for the girl to get legal justice.
UNFPA support
Vidya’s capacity to run this center in a compassionate and systematic manner has been greatly strengthened by UNFPA training. Counseling skills workshops on gender-based violence (GBV) case management, mental health and psychological support services, and relevant laws gave them the necessary skills to provide victim-centered care.
Vidya is helping the young mother by the hand, when her phone starts ringing. She picks up the phone and another girl’s nervous voice is heard on the other end of the call. “He is constantly harassing me, and threatening to post pictures of me online.”
He pleads for help and says, “Please stop him from doing this by calling this number.”
181 Listening to him on the helpline, Vidya assures him that she will talk to the boy. This free lifeline has become an important tool to support women and girls facing gender-based violence.
“Cybercrime cases are on the rise,” Vidya said. Many cases have come before the Center where boys Threatens to leak sensitive photos on social media if relationship ends.
Vidya’s OSC, with the help of police, health department and women and child development department, successfully navigates these complex challenges, enabling the victims to rebuild their lives.
Her exceptional leadership is a testament to her OSC being recognized as one of the best performing centers in the 2021 Violence Against Women (VAW) Institutional Survey conducted by WHO.
During the conversation, Vidya’s phone rings again. It is a call from Gargi, who is frustrated with the unfulfilled promise of purchase. Vidya assures him that she will definitely go with him the next day. After the call ended, he wondered, “How am I going to explain all this to him?”
A phone call has yet to be made to the boy who threatened the girl with abuse online – ie The work is not done yet…
Vidya works to balance both home and work. He is no less than a hero in both roles. In addition to daily family responsibilities, she faces complex legal and emotional challenges.
Her story represents extraordinary women who dedicate their entire lives to making a difference.
This story is the first here was published,