One Stop Centres to focus on high-level training for women: Maneka

New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Friday said the One Stop Centre (OSC) scheme, aimed to support women affected by violence, will now focus on high-level training courses for women across the country.

"We are regularly monitoring the working of these centres and for capacity building of the staff managing these centres OSC will evolve high level training courses women," the minister added.

Gandhi was speaking at the inauguration of the two-day national workshop on role of Sakhi-OSC in strengthening multi-sectoral response to violence in the national capital.

Around 400 Sakhi-OSC Functionaries and nodal officials from the state department of WCD from 33 states and UTs across the country are participating in the workshop.

"OSC Scheme is a highly critical intervention to protect and help women affected by violence. Keeping in view the importance of the scheme, it has to be ensured that the OSCs are run in a professional and efficient manner and complete empathy has to be shown for the women in distress who are visiting the centres. The purpose of the OSCs is to provide safe and pleasant environment to such women," the Minister added.

The first One Stop Centre was set up in Raipur, Chattisgarh under the Nirbhaya Fund. Currently there are more than 151 One Stop Centres across the country.