Based partially on the Mohalla Committee concept of the Maharashtra Police, it kicks off in the State with two counselling centres in Pune and as many in Mumbai and depends upon interaction of social workers with rural women to bring into the open burning issues like violence, suppression rights, medical negligence and ignorance of divorce laws.

The four places identified for counselling centres are Loni-Kalbhor and Alandi in Pune and Chembur and Worli in Mumbai. ``We are identifying problems inherent to women in rural areas and we want to help them come out of this kind of suppression. The idea is that peace and harmony should not come at the cost of justice,'' says Neelam Gorhe, president of the Stree Adhar Kendra.

A woman's right to question her circumstances is suppressed and she is crushed by patriarchal forces. Social workers attached to the counselling centres will go from house to house, interacting with families and speaking to women. With 10 families allotted to each social worker the contact is expected to be on a day-to-day basis. About 1,000 families have been identified in Loni Kalbhor and Alandi in Pune who will have daily interaction with 100 social workers recruited from each of the two areas. The concept is to define Zero-Violence Zones for women in the city where an attempt will be made to provide complete safety to the fairer sex.

``Our volunteers will go to the people, win their confidence and by speaking to the women identify what problems they are facing,'' says Gorhe. Volunteers will help pick out more people, both men and women, from the localities who will be trained in providing emotional support and guidance to help spread the movement to the grassroots.