Tackling violence against women: Helplines and apps in Bengaluru

If you, as a woman, face harassment on the streets, how do you get help? Or what if you suffer violence at home but have no one to turn to? Here are some apps and helplines to aid you

Given that women are still unsafe in our public spaces, what options do they have if they are in danger? One option is Bengaluru City Police’s Suraksha app. This app has been downloaded 1.5 lakh times since its launch in 2017. All you have to do is press the panic button on the app, which is directly linked to the police response team. Police say it’d take them only 7-9 minutes to reach your location.

The police helpline Vanitha Sahaya Vani offers immediate intervention and rescue in cases of domestic violence and other forms of abuse. It also offers services like counselling and short-term shelter.

Many NGO-run helplines also offer shelter, counselling, legal aid, help with securing a job and so on, to women in distress. If you need help, take the first step and contact any of these organisations.

Read more:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Stormwater, floods and the city: Inside a citizen audit of Bengaluru’s K200 drain

A walk along Bengaluru’s K200 stormwater drain shows shifting conditions every 100 metres, revealing flooding risks and repair possibilities.

I have been following the K100 stormwater drain (SWD) project for some time and had loosely worked on it in the past. Once neglected, this stretch from Majestic to Bellandur Lake has gradually been transformed into a critical part of the neighbourhood’s civic infrastructure. As I have a theoretical understanding of what Bengaluru’s stormwater drains are intended to do and why they matter, a citizen audit of the K200 SWD held on January 31st felt like a chance to move beyond theory and see things up close. The proposed audit focused on a stretch of the K200 running from HSR…

Similar Story

India Civic Summit 2026: Citizens, experts, civic leaders unite to drive urban change

In Chennai, diverse groups and civic communities across India participated in workshops and discussions on citizen-led action to transform our cities.

Better societies lead to better economies, said Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services for Tamil Nadu. He was speaking at the India Civic Summit 2026, organised by Oorvani Foundation at IITM Research Park in Chennai, on February 14th.  "The notion of a life with dignity should be the basis for social equity," he said, adding that citizens must not have to struggle for basic needs like drinking water, toilets, or hygiene. Rapid urbanisation has led to a model where announcements happen, but planning takes time, resulting in large-scale projects where execution may suffer, the minister said.…