As part of the Global 16 Days Campaign to challenge violence against women and girls, we highlight ICRW Asia’s work on strengthening institutional mechanisms for GBV redressal in the state of Jharkhand, India.

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains a critical challenge in India and Jharkhand, often disproportionately affecting women and marginalized communities. Despite existing laws, policies and programs, gaps persist in the effective redressal of GBV cases due to limited coordination among government departments, civil society organizations (CSOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and grassroots workers. There is a pressing need for multi-stakeholder engagement to strengthen institutional response mechanisms and enhance community-led interventions. In Jharkhand, ICRW, in collaboration with the Jharkhand Women’s Development Society (JWDS), is working to analyse and identify gaps to strengthen existing systems working on issues of violence, understand specific drivers of violence to improve redressal efforts, and develop practical recommendations for enhancing the implementation, accessibility, and efficiency of current systems and policies. This also includes a thorough review and understanding of the landscape of actors engaged in violence prevention in Jharkhand.

Why GBV redressal requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach

There is a pressing need for multi-stakeholder engagement to strengthen institutional response mechanisms and enhance community-led interventions. A cohesive, interdepartmental, coordinated approach for responding to violence against women and girls is essential to protecting victims and survivors of violence against women from further harm when responding to violence. Coordinated systems can have a greater impact in responding to violence and achieve greater efficiencies than agencies working in isolation. The benefits of this approach are as follows:

• Such an approach recognises that survivors/victims of violence have multiple needs
• It allows for the setting up of minimum standards of care
• Gives out a clear and consistent message that VAW is being seen as a serious issue
• creates awareness about available services.
• Such a platform also allows for sharing resources such as practice-based knowledge, innovation, and research
• Data systems for evidence-based practice.

Global evidence and consensus point to the fact that coordinated systems have a significantly greater impact and greater efficiency in providing a continuum of survivor-centred care than isolated, department-specific interventions. This emphasis on coordination is not only a programmatic necessity but also a globally recognised standard.

System strengthening through an inter-departmental roundtable to address GBV

An interdepartmental government roundtable, “Strengthening Gender-Based Violence Redressal Mechanisms in  Jharkhand”, was identified as a space for bringing senior representatives from departments like the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD), Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), National Health Mission, Schedule Tribe, Schedule Caste, Minority and Backward class Welfare Department, and law enforcement (representatives from Police, Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority, etc.) to understand currently available data on gender-based violence in Jharkhand, current and potential avenues for  interdepartmental collaboration, resource allocations and overlaps,  etc. ICRW and JWDS organised two roundtables between June and October 2025. The first roundtable saw the participation of nine government departments, and four more departments were represented in the second one on 15 October 2025 in Ranchi. A core theme that underscored the discussions at the roundtables was the need for a cohesive,  interdepartmental and coordinated approach to responding to violence against women and girls in the state. Such an approach is essential for ensuring that survivors are protected from further harm and can access timely, comprehensive support. Transparency at the state, district, block, and village levels to prevent duplication of work and sustain the implementation of National and State-introduced policies was considered essential.

It was encouraging to have senior officials from 13 state departments engaging in structured dialogue on the current landscape of GBV prevention and redressal in Jharkhand. These departments at the second roundtable included Transportation, Panchayati Raj, Home, JWDS, Education, Municipal Corporation, Livelihood, Health, Urban Development, Child Protection, and Labour Development.

The most recent discussion also enabled these departments to present data under their mandates, offering a state-wide snapshot of violence and response:

• Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) reported more than 2,700 cases recorded through Gender Resource Centres, ranging from domestic violence to trafficking.
• The Home Department shared details of 685 rape and child sexual abuse registered between 2020 and 2025, highlighting operational challenges in providing timely response.
• The Health Department shared data on 2,600 medical examinations conducted for POCSO survivors over the last three years, alongside ongoing capacity-building efforts for healthcare providers.
• The Education Department, the Jharkhand Council for Education Research and Training (JCERT), and the Child Protection units discussed mechanisms for the enrolment of at-risk children, the prevention of child marriage, and the creation of gender-responsive schools.
• Panchayati Raj Institutions outlined governance measures, including women-friendly Gram Panchayats and strengthened oversight through Mahila Sabhas, Bal Sabhas and other local governance bodies.

Across sectors, a common realization emerged: Jharkhand has an extensive network of more than 600,000 frontline functionaries, yet systemic coordination and data-driven alignment remain critical for achieving effective GBV prevention and redressal. The discussions emphasised the significant value of ICRW’s ongoing support in strengthening Jharkhand’s GBV response systems.

The roundtable concluded with a commitment to continue district-level convergence meetings beginning November 2025, with ICRW continuing to support evidence generation and technical guidance. JWDS reiterated its dedication to advancing systemic reforms for survivor-centred redress, and the departments expressed their readiness to collaborate more closely to share data, build capacities, and strengthen service delivery.

In this context, ICRW’s ongoing work and engagement will be instrumental in generating comprehensive statewide evidence on GBV trends, institutional practices, and service delivery gaps, leading to a clearer understanding of where systemic strengthening is necessary. Over the past year, ICRW has undertaken an extensive fieldwork exercise, consultations, and systems assessments to understand how policies, frontline workers, and departmental structures operate in practice and where critical bottlenecks exist. Through 80 in-depth interviews across state, district, block, and village levels, ICRW is in the process of building a holistic understanding of GBV redressal pathways from community cadres at the village level institutions such as One Stop Centres, Mahila Thanas, Gender Resource Centres, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Self Help  Groups, Child Welfare Committees, courts, etc. at the village, block, and district levels.  The insights delve into various manifestations of violence, prevalent perspectives among frontline workers, service providers, and state actors; an in-depth analysis of the landscape of state interventions; inter-departmental convergence across administrative levels; and challenges. This research is informing actionable recommendations to enhance coordination, strengthen referral mechanisms, improve data systems, and build more responsive survivor-centred services and practices.

Way forward

Through its technical collaboration with JWDS and other state departments, we are hopeful to identify strategic opportunities for inter-departmental convergence and alignment across existing schemes and mandates. ICRW’s synthesis of departmental data and field insights continues to inform policy planning and program design, helping the state build more coherent, evidence-driven, and survivor-centered mechanisms to prevent and respond to GBV.