May 5: To make it easier for women and children to seek help and report domestic violence, the National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC) and the police are setting up a complaint and response mechanism.

The complaint and response mechanism will allow women and children to lodge complaints through the telephone. They can either call the city police, the rural police or the women and children protection cell.

Choki Penjor, the program officer of the NCWC said the mechanism is being introduced to create women and children friendly police procedures. She said the mechanism is also to encourage the people to report crimes. She said currently many crimes go unreported partly because people have to go to the police station to register the crimes.

The NCWC and police will also set up mobile police stations. In the initial pilot phase, three police vehicles will be placed in three strategic locations in Thimphu. This will enable the police to respond faster said Choki Penjor.

The NCWC hopes to launch the mechanism within a couple of months. The commission has already procured the equipment. Police personnel have also been trained in basic computer skills and to handle the equipment.