Toronto/New Delhi: The Consulate General of India in Toronto has established a ‘One Stop Centre for Women’, a dedicated support facility aimed at assisting Indian women nationals facing distress in Canada.
Alongside the centre, the Consulate has also launched a 24×7 helpline to provide immediate assistance. The initiative is intended to offer critical and timely support to Indian passport holder women dealing with issues such as domestic violence, abuse, family conflict, abandonment, exploitation and legal challenges.
In a post on X on Friday, the Indian mission said the One Stop Centre for Women will provide coordinated and beneficiary-centric assistance by connecting affected women to appropriate support mechanisms. This includes immediate counselling, facilitation of psycho-social support, and coordination of legal assistance and advice, while also helping women access relevant community and social service resources in Canada.
The mission clarified that all interventions by the centre will be carried out strictly within the framework of local Canadian laws. The centre will operate from the premises of the Consulate General of India in Toronto and will be managed by a woman Centre Administrator to ensure the delivery of safe, dignified and comprehensive assistance to women in need.
According to the Consulate, support will be provided on a means-tested basis, with counselling and emotional support offered through empanelled non-governmental organisations. Any financial assistance extended will be in line with the Government of India’s rules and subject to eligibility criteria.
The Centre Administrator can be contacted through the dedicated helpline at +1 (437) 552 3309 or via email at osc.toronto@mea.gov.in. The Indian mission’s website has also published a detailed FAQ outlining how Indian officials can assist, and the limitations of such assistance, in cases where Indian passport holder women are cheated, abandoned or abused by overseas Indian spouses.
