Human Rights Measure

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir issued a “writ petition in public interest” in which it recognized the “steep rise” in “complaints relating to crime against women” including domestic violence cases that occurred during the March 2020 lockdown, in particular noting “the inability of women and children from the economic weaker sections of the Indian society to accessing on-line platforms for assistance.” On this basis, the High Court delineated a set of measures in order “to grant immediate assistance.” These measures include, among others: “[c]reation of dedicated funding to address issues of violence against women and girls as part of the COVID-19 response by the Union Territories of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh” and increasing the “availability of call-in services to facilitate discreet reporting of abuse” as well as “tele/online legal and counseling service for women and girls.”