Men, society must ensure no woman faces injustice: Irani

It is the responsibility of men and the society to see that no woman faces injustice, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said on Wednesday. She was speaking after inaugurating a 'one-stop center' at the civic-run KEM Hospital here which would help rape survivors in their medical examination and counseling.

"It is the responsibility of men and society to see no woman faces injustice. "Such centers are coming up in various parts of the country and it was necessary to have on such unit in Mumbai, she said.

The center has been jointly set up by the women and child development department of the Union government, district collectorate of Mumbai city and KEM Hospital. Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra Minister for School Education and Sports Ashish Shelar suggested that the center be named after Aruna Shanbag, a nurse working in KEM Hospital who was sexually assaulted some decades back and was bedridden till her death at the hospital.

According to a hospital official, the center is meant to also help victims of child abuse and acid attacks. "KEM is the first civic hospital to have such a center," the official said.

It is aimed at reducing the time spent by traumatized victims for medical examination, formalities at the hospital and there would be also counseling for them, he said. "The center has gynecologists, physiatrists and forensic experts under one roof. This will help to speed up the process of preparing the medical reports, which have to be handed over to police and courts," the official said.

The center will be attached to the KEM Hospital's casualty department so that a woman or child does not have to wander from one ward to the other, he added.