International Women’s Day has become less about women’s rights and more about discounts on beauty products, offers on gold jewellery, and “ladies’ special” brunch deals. Brands compete to market Women’s Day as a shopping festival, while restaurants and salons capitalise on the occasion with special discounts and free cocktails. Amidst all this commercial fanfare, the real issues—violence, economic inequality, lack of access to justice, and the failure of policies meant to protect women—are conveniently ignored. When did Women’s Day become about celebrating consumerism instead of demanding real change?
While corporations push “Women’s Day Specials,” the reality for many women in Goa is far from special. How many women feel truly safe in their homes, workplaces, or on the streets? How many know where to seek help when they face violence? How many actually benefit from the schemes designed to empower them? The harsh truth is that, despite the many policies and schemes meant for women, Goa has failed to create an effective and accessible ecosystem for women’s protection and empowerment.
The government’s flagship scheme, Mission Shakti, was meant to ensure comprehensive support for women—providing legal aid, rehabilitation, economic empowerment, and crisis intervention services. But for the past three to four years, Goa has ignored the opportunity to strengthen its women’s protection ecosystem. There has been no serious stakeholder engagement, no needs assessment to identify real issues, and no transparency in fund allocation. While the One Stop Centre (OSC) remains the only functional part of this scheme, it continues to struggle with underfunding and a lack of government support.
Women’s safety cannot be reduced to law enforcement alone. Engagements between women’s groups and the Goa Police, while valuable, are not enough. Protection is not just about filing FIRs—it’s about prevention, intervention, and long-term rehabilitation. Right now, there is no coordinated system in Goa to provide this support. Instead of siloed and reactionary efforts, we need an integrated, multi-agency approach that brings together law enforcement, legal aid, social services, and mental health professionals to ensure comprehensive safety for women.
Mission Shakti: A Policy Without a Mission
Mission Shakti was introduced as a game-changing initiative to unify women’s safety services, promising an integrated approach to protection through One Stop Centres, helplines, shelters, legal support, and financial empowerment programmes. On paper, it seemed like a robust plan. In reality, these programmes are underutilised, poorly implemented, and nearly invisible to the women they are meant to serve.
Every year, Goa is required to submit an Annual Action Plan under Mission Shakti, detailing how funds will be allocated and which programmes will be prioritised. But where is the discussion on this plan? Who is being consulted? The process remains shrouded in secrecy, with no involvement of women’s rights groups, legal professionals, or social workers. There is no accountability for whether these funds are being spent effectively or if they are being spent at all.
A Lifeline Left to Struggle: Crisis of One Stop Centres
One Stop Centres (OSCs) are meant to be a crucial first point of contact for women facing violence, offering legal, medical, and psychological support. In other states, these centres have been highly effective in bridging gaps in women’s safety services. But in Goa, these centres have been left to struggle without adequate funding or operational support.
Instead of strengthening and expanding these centres, the government has allowed them to operate in survival mode, failing to ensure accessibility for all women in need. This is not just bureaucratic negligence—it is a complete disregard for the safety of women in crisis.
Beyond Goa Police: Where is the Convergence?
Women’s safety is not just a law enforcement issue—it is a legal, social, and economic issue that requires a multi-agency response. Right now, Goa lacks a structured approach where law enforcement, legal aid services, mental health professionals, and social workers collaborate effectively.
When a woman reports violence, what happens next? Does she get legal representation? Is there a mechanism to provide financial aid if she is economically dependent on her abuser? If she requires trauma counselling, is there a system in place to ensure she receives it? Right now, the answer is no. Women are left to navigate this broken system alone, often falling through the cracks.
No Data, No Accountability, No Real Solutions
Goa has no real-time data on gender-based violence, women’s economic conditions, or access to justice. Without data, how can we even understand the scale of the problem? How can policymakers create meaningful solutions without a clear understanding of the challenges women face?
If the government were serious about women’s safety, it would invest in gender audits, conduct needs assessments, and ensure transparency in programme implementation. Instead, we have a lack of accountability, no tracking of progress, and no measurement of impact—ensuring that nothing changes.
What Needs to Change Now?
Enough with the empty promises. Goa needs real action to ensure that women’s protection and empowerment move beyond token gestures.
The Annual Action Plan under Mission Shakti must be made public and involve women’s rights groups, legal professionals, and social workers in shaping the implementation strategy. Budget allocations must be transparent, with proper monitoring to ensure funds are used effectively and not lost in bureaucratic inefficiencies.
The One Stop Centres must be fully funded, properly staffed, and expanded so that every woman in crisis has access to legal, medical, and mental health support. Goa must conduct a state-wide needs assessment to determine the most urgent issues women face, ensuring that resources are directed where they are needed most.
Additionally, the government must establish a formal structure for multi-agency coordination, ensuring that law enforcement, legal aid, social services, and mental health professionals work together seamlessly. No woman should have to fight this battle alone. Civil society and advocacy groups must step up to demand accountability, creating independent mechanisms to track progress and push for meaningful action.
Women’s Rights Are More Than Just Discounts and Freebies
For too long, Goa’s approach to women’s safety has been reactive, disorganised, and symbolic. For the countless women facing violence, discrimination, and economic hardship, safety is not about brunch deals and shopping discounts—it is about survival.
We must ask ourselves: Are we satisfied with marketing gimmicks, or are we ready to demand real, systemic change? Are we going to wait another year, another budget cycle, another empty government report, or will we finally demand that women’s rights are more than just words?
The time for waiting is over. The time for action is now. Are we ready to demand better?
(The writer is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the D.D. Kosambi School of Social Sciences and Behavioural Studies, Goa University. He has served as the Chairperson of the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights)
