Women’s Charter (Protection of Women and Girls) Rules

The Board shall consist of such number of persons as the Minister may determine.

The Minister may at any time revoke the appointment of any member of the Board.

Members of the Board shall satisfy themselves that the health, maintenance, recreation, discipline, training and education of the girls in places of safety are satisfactory and that an efficient standard is maintained throughout each place of safety but shall not be concerned with the general administrative matters of the places of safety.

Members of the Board shall send their comments and recommendations regarding the places of safety to the Director-General.

The Chairman shall be appointed by the Minister from amongst the members of the Board.

The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board.

A Deputy Chairman shall be elected by the Board from amongst its members.

The Deputy Chairman may, in the absence of the Chairman, preside at meetings of the Board and when so doing shall exercise all the powers and functions of the Chairman.

The Chairman shall appoint a Secretary to the Board.

The Secretary shall not be a member of the Board and shall not be entitled to vote at a meeting of the Board.

A vacancy occurring in the Board shall be filled by a fresh appointment made by the Minister, and the person appointed to fill such vacancy shall hold office for so long as the member in whose place he is appointed would have held office.

The Board shall not be incapable of acting by reason only of there being any vacancy in the membership of the Board.

The quorum at every meeting of the Board shall be half the total number of members of the Board, and shall include the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman.

No business shall be transacted or discussed at a meeting of the Board unless a quorum is present.

Meetings of the Board shall be called by the Chairman or the Secretary of the Board as and when necessary but in any case at intervals not exceeding 3 months.

A meeting of the Board shall be called upon the requisition in writing of not less than 3 members of the Board.

At least 7 days’ notice in writing shall be given of meetings of the Board and the notice convening the meeting shall include the agenda for such meeting.

The Secretary shall keep the minutes of every meeting and a copy of the minutes shall be sent to all members of the Board as soon as possible after each meeting.

The minutes shall be confirmed at the next following meeting of the Board and when confirmed shall be signed by the Chairman, or the Deputy Chairman, presiding at that meeting.

It shall be the duty of the Director-General to discharge or place on parole licence each girl detained in a place of safety as soon as she has made sufficient progress in her training.

With this object in view, the Director-General shall at the end of the first 6 months during which the girl is detained in a place of safety or at such earlier time as he considers necessary, review the progress made by the girl, and all the circumstances of the case including the girl’s home surroundings.

The Director-General shall review the progress and circumstances as often as may be necessary and at least every 6 months.

The Director-General shall, for this purpose, require the superintendent of the place of safety concerned and an aftercare officer to submit in writing a report relating to the progress, behaviour and other relevant matters pertaining to such girl for the period under review.

In considering his review of cases, the Director-General may forward the relevant records of the case to the Discharge Committee established under section 179(1) of the Act, and may obtain its advice as to whether any girl detained in a place of safety should be released on parole licence.

Where there is reason to believe that a girl can be placed out during the first 6 months of stay, the case shall be reported by the superintendent to the Director-General with a view to his consent being obtained.

The Discharge Committee shall consist of such number of members as the Minister may determine. Among the members to be appointed, one shall be a nominee of the Director-General of Social Welfare.

The Discharge Committee shall elect a chairman and a deputy chairman from amongst its members and the chairman shall ordinarily preside at all of the Committee meetings.

The secretary of the Discharge Committee shall be appointed by the Director-General.

Members of the Discharge Committee shall hold office for a period of not more than 2 years from the date of their respective appointment and may be eligible for reappointment on completion of that period.

The Minister may at any time revoke the appointment of a member of the Discharge Committee.

If any vacancy occurs by death, resignation or otherwise, a new member shall be appointed by the Minister, and any person appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office for so long as the person in whose place he is appointed would have held office.

The quorum at all meetings of the Discharge Committee shall be 3 members present, in addition to the chairman or the deputy chairman, and no business shall be transacted or discussed unless a quorum is present.

The superintendent of the approved school or home concerned and the aftercare officer shall be available at all meetings of the Discharge Committee.

In its review of cases, the Discharge Committee shall consider the reports submitted by the superintendent and the aftercare officer.

No member of the Discharge Committee shall visit or interview the parents, guardian, siblings or any other member of the family of, or the home of, any girl under review without the prior approval of the Committee.

The Discharge Committee shall ensure that every effort is made by the aftercare officer to obtain suitable employment for a girl who is fit for discharge or release on parole licence.

For this purpose the Discharge Committee shall avail itself, where necessary, of any help that can be obtained whether from public organisations or private individuals.

Where the girl’s home conditions are reported by the aftercare officer to be unsatisfactory, the Discharge Committee may recommend that she be placed in a hostel or other suitable lodgings.

Where a girl is being discharged or released on parole licence from a place of safety, the Director-General shall inform the parents or guardian, if any, of the girl in advance of the date of her discharge or release on parole licence.

The Discharge Committee shall satisfy itself that adequate arrangements are made for the aftercare of every girl released on parole licence from a place of safety for a minimum period of one year or until she attains the age of 21 years, whichever is the earlier.

It shall be the duty of the aftercare officer to report on the progress of every girl released on parole licence under her care at such intervals as the Discharge Committee may determine.

Where it is in the interest of the girl released on parole licence, to have her recalled to a place of safety, it shall be the duty of the Discharge Committee to advise the Director-General to revoke the licence issued.

Notwithstanding paragraph (3), the Director-General shall have power, in case of urgency, to recall to the place of safety any girl who is released on parole licence.

The Discharge Committee shall have a purely advisory function in reviewing cases and making recommendation to the Director-General, on the discharge and aftercare of girls in places of safety.

No decision of the Discharge Committee shall be binding on the Director-General.

The superintendent shall keep —

Such books and registers shall be available for inspection by members of the Board at all times and shall be signed by them on inspection.

They shall also be laid before the Board at every meeting of the Board if the Board so requires.

Every girl in a place of safety shall be supplied with food that is based on the recommendation of a dietician.

Every recommendation referred to in paragraph (1) and every amendment made to the recommendation shall be subject to the approval of the Director-General.

The school-room time-table and syllabus shall be subject to approval by the Director-General in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

A copy of the time-table shall be kept posted in the school-room.

The practical training given to girls above the age of 14 years in a place of safety shall, in so far as is practicable, be directed towards preparing them for some form of employment.

Regard shall be had to the capacity, aptitude and preference of each girl, and in all suitable cases the parents or guardian of the girl shall be consulted.

So far as practicable, arrangements shall be made for the religious instruction of girls in a place of safety according to their own religious persuasion.

Ministers of religion shall be given access to every place of safety for the purpose of visits or for giving religious instruction to girls of their particular faith.

Adequate provision shall be made in the place of safety for free time and recreation, including organised games, walks and visits.

Except in bad weather, at least one hour daily shall be spent by the girls in the place of safety in the open air.

Every girl in a place of safety shall be granted leave to visit her own home every year unless circumstances make it undesirable, but the period of such leave shall not exceed 14 days in any year, without the authority of the Director-General.

Where circumstances make it undesirable for a girl to stay at her own home for the leave period, the superintendent may, with the approval of the Director-General, make such other arrangements as are considered suitable.

Girls in a place of safety shall be encouraged to write to their parents or guardians, or, if unable to write, to dictate such a letter to a member of the staff, at least once a month.

For this purpose, postage shall be provided, where necessary, by the superintendent.

When punishment is necessary for the maintenance of discipline, one of the following forms may be adopted:

The punishment under paragraph (1)(e) shall only be imposed in exceptional cases and subject to the following conditions:

Every effort shall be made to enforce discipline in the place of safety without resort to corporal punishment.

Where corporal punishment is found to be necessary, its application shall be preceded by an inquiry held by the superintendent who shall record the evidence and the grounds of her decision.

The superintendent shall be responsible for the immediate recording of all corporal and other punishment in the punishment book and shall enter therein such details as may be required by the Director-General.

The punishment book shall be examined at each meeting of the Board and shall be signed by the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman presiding over the meeting.

Subject to these Rules, no member of the staff in a place of safety shall inflict any kind of corporal punishment on any girl in the place of safety.

The term “corporal punishment” for the purposes of paragraph (1) includes striking, cuffing, shaking or any other form of physical violence.

Any member of the staff who commits a breach of this rule shall render herself liable to instant dismissal.

The Director-General shall appoint Dental Officers whose duties shall include an examination of the teeth of each girl in the place of safety at least once a year, and the undertaking of such fillings, extractions or other dental work as may be necessary.

Dental Officers shall keep a record of their work in a form approved by the Director-General.

If a girl absents herself from a place of safety without the permission of the superintendent or the person appointed to act for her, notice shall be sent forthwith to the Commissioner of Police and to the Director-General.

Every such case shall be noted in the log book and in the daily register.