★ Curated Directory & Knowledge Base

Resources

Legal frameworks, emergency 24/7 helplines, legal collectives, foundational literature, and audio journalism in South Asia.

In Immediate Danger or Crisis? Call National Emergency 112 or NCW Women Helpline 7827170170. All resources listed below offer confidential support.

#Laws

  • POSH Act 2013 (Sexual Harassment at Workplace) (wcd.nic.in/act/posh-act)

    Statutory act requiring all organizations with 10+ employees to constitute an Internal Committee (IC) and address harassment complaints within 90 days.

  • Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA 2005) (e-court portal / DLSA Legal Aid)

    Civil law providing immediate protection orders, monetary relief, custody orders, and right to reside in shared household.

  • Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 — Women’s Provisions (legislative.gov.in)

    The new criminal code that replaced the IPC: expanded definitions of rape and gang rape, and new provisions on voyeurism, acid attacks, and digital abuse.

#Helplines

  • National Commission for Women (NCW) Helpline (7827170170 / ncw.nic.in)

    24/7 National Emergency Helpline for women facing domestic violence, harassment, or distress across India.

  • iCall Psychosocial Helpline (TISS) (9152987821 / icallhelpline.org)

    Free, confidential mental health and counseling support provided by trained psychologists at Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

  • 181 — Women Helpline (Universal) (181 / wcd.nic.in)

    National 24×7 helpline for women in distress anywhere in India — crisis support, information, and referral to protection officers, shelter homes, and legal aid.

  • SHe-Box — Sexual Harassment e-Complaint Portal (shebox.wcd.gov.in)

    Online complaint portal for workplace sexual harassment under the POSH Act — complaints reach the Internal Committee and the nodal authority directly.

  • Vandrevala Foundation Mental Health Helpline (1860-2662-345 / vandrevalafoundation.com)

    Free, confidential, 24×7 mental health counselling in English, Hindi, and regional languages, run by trained counsellors.

#NGOs

  • Breakthrough India (inbreakthrough.org)

    Human rights organization creating ground campaigns to end violence against women and promote gender equality in schools and communities.

  • Majlis Legal Centre (majlislaw.com)

    A collective of women lawyers and activists providing free legal representation and counseling to female victims of sexual and domestic violence.

  • Sneha — Chennai (044-2464-0050 / sneha-india.org)

    Crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and emotional support for women in distress in Chennai and across Tamil Nadu.

#Books

  • Seeing Like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon (Penguin India)

    An accessible, foundational introduction to modern Indian feminism, family structures, body politics, and labor rights.

  • Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh by Shrayana Bhattacharya (HarperCollins India)

    An extraordinary economic study tracking how women across Indian social classes navigate employment, intimacy, and independence.

  • We Also Made History: Women in the Ambedkarite Movement (Zubaan Books)

    Urmila Pawar and Meenakshi Moon’s landmark work documenting the women who built India’s anti-caste movement — caste, gender, and memory in their own words.

#Podcasts

  • The Indian Feminist Podcast (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

    Weekly conversations unravelling South Asian gender politics, legal battles, literature, and everyday intersectional experiences.

  • Feminism in India — The Podcast (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

    Weekly conversations on gender, law, culture, and the feminist movement in India, by India’s independent feminist media collective.