National Women Council

The National Women’s Council (NWC) works towards the promotion of women’s empowerment and gender equality.

• Promote women’s empowerment and gender equality
• Ensure and promote the active participation of women in the social, economic and political fields in order to further their overall empowerment; and
• Provide a platform for women to voice their needs, concerns and aspirations.


Services of the Council:

• Adult Literacy Programme

The Adult Literacy Programme aims at equipping women with basic literacy and numeracy skills required to adapt themselves to the fast changing environment of our modern world, at the same time furthering their self-development through Adult Literacy Courses in various outstations throughout the island.

• Dressmaking and Related Craft Courses

Dressmaking and Related Craft courses are provided to women for their skill development through various courses covering a wide range of fields.

• Caravanne - “Service de proximité”

The NWC provides a “Service de Proximité” targeting vulnerable families through the use of a mobile caravan. The mobile caravan has been adapted and refurbished to cater for various services and activities for the full and effective empowerment of women, development of children and welfare of families. The caravan services areas considered as “pockets of poverty” and a specific region is identified for each month.

Mechanisms set up in Women Centres

• Women Associations ― Membership is open to women from all walks of life who are interested to rally themselves for the cause of women empowerment and gender equality.

• Women Sports Associations― This association regroups women who meet on a monthly basis to engage in sports/physical activities.

• Agricultural Clubs― This club primarily aims at encouraging members to engage in agricultural activities.

• Cine Clubs― This club has the main objective raise awareness amongst women on specific thematic related to women’s empowerment and gender equality issues through the use of new and innovative tools.

• Young Women Movement―This movement regroups women in the age group of 18-35years. The overall aim is to ensure that young women are fully engaged in women’s right and gender equality discourses.

• Solidarity Groups ― The overall objective of this initiative is to inculcate a spirit of solidarity amongst women aimed at providing assistance (in kind, cash, and/or moral support) to other in distress.

Home Economics Unit

The Home Economics Unit forms part of the Social Welfare Division of the Ministry. It is responsible for the planning, organisation, implementation and evaluation of Training Programmes in the field of Home Economics and related areas.

Capacity building programmes and services are imparted on demand to the public at the following centres:-

• Social Welfare Centres

• Home Economics Resource Centres

• Women Centres, &

• Community Centres

Domestic Violence can happen to anyone irrespective of race, ethnicity and religion. It can happen to adults, teenagers in a dating relationship, disabled adults and young people. It can happen to people all around the world.


Reporting Cases of Domestic Violence

1. Hotline Service: 139

2. Reporting Cases of Alleged Domestic Violence

3. Family Welfare App

If you do not want to file a complaint you can always contact the police for assistance in case of emergency.

If you’ve been abused or fear domestic violence please call the help line below:
Hot Line – 119 (Toll free number)


Police Family Protection Unit

Police Family Protection Unit (PFPU) was set up in September 1994 with the aim of providing specific services to a category of people who are termed vulnerable within society.

The PFPU deals with the following cases:

• Domestic Violence
• Child Abuse
• Elderly Abuse
• Family Conflict
• Conflict among neighbours
• Principles of the Unit
• Welcoming phase
• Active Listening
• Individualism
• Non-judgmental Attitude
• Freedom of decision
• Confidentiality

Areas of intervention and Services offered:

1. Promote psychological recovery of child victims/witnesses and adult victims

2. Psychological interventions in terms of:
• victim/witness support related to court proceedings
• Pre-trial and post-trial support
• Custody evaluation
• provision of expert witness testimony in child abuse cases

3.Training, continuous professional development

Family Welfare and Protection Unit

The Family Welfare and Protection Unit operates through a network of six (6) Family Support Bureaux (FSBx) around the island.

Family Support Bureaux

The Unit operates from the Ministry's Head Quarters and has a network of 6 Regional Offices known as Family Support Bureaux (FSBx). A hot line 119 is operational on a 24 hour basis to cater for family related problems and another Hot Line 139(Toll free) which is dedicated to domestic violence is also operational. Officers can be contacted at the FSBx. Please refer list of addresses and telephone numbers

Services provided are:

(i) Family Counselling

(ii) Psychological Counselling

(iii) Legal Counselling

(iv) Assistance to adult victims of gender-based violence


Programmes and Projects to promote Family Welfare

• Men as Caring Partners(MACP)

• Pre-Marital Counselling and Marriage Enrichment Programmes

• Inter-Generation Relationship Programme

• Strengthening Values for Family Life Programme