Amid mounting concerns over violence against women and children, the Meghalaya government has strengthened its intervention mechanism with a dedicated 24×7 helpline number—181. Adviser to the Social Welfare Department, Paul Lyngdoh, said the SOS service immediately activates police alerts on every call, ensuring rapid response to emergencies and threats. The helpline is accessible to all and provides free, round-the-clock assistance for victims of domestic violence, aggression, and related crimes. The decision was taken in a recent meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
Talking to media persons, Lyngdoh said, “There is a dedicated helpline that is 181 which is open 24 x 7. Any specific complaints or emergencies relating to violence against women, this number is accessible to all. It is an SOS service, as based on every call we attend, we alert, Police is activated and it is a 24 into seven free service.”
Lyngdoh added that the government is working on expanding and upgrading the women’s helpline workstations, with completion expected within three months. “The preparation of testimonies of the 181 women helpline beneficiaries… these are women who have benefited through our timely intervention and we will be recording their testimonies in order to further create public awareness about this service. So this will be achieved within a time span of three months,” he said.
The department has also committed to procuring vehicles for the helpline workstations, ensuring swift response to emergencies. Emphasising the wider impact, Lyngdoh stated, “Every aspect of the safety and security and uplift of women and children. So it’s a very far-reaching an impactful meeting.”
When asked if these measures would curb the rising crime against women and children, Lyngdoh affirmed, “Yes, yes absolutely. As I mentioned, we already have victims of such threats and also of actual acts of violence who because of the intervention of the department and the support of the police have now come forward and I’ve also recorded their statement and those statements will become available to the public in the next three to four [months].”
