New Delhi: At Delhi’s Women Helpline 181, distress comes in many forms. A woman calls after being assaulted by her husband. Another says her in-laws forced her out of the house. A college student reports online blackmail. Increasingly, women are dialling the helpline not during moments of violence alone, but when relationships, homes and mental health begin to collapse.That shift is now showing up sharply in the numbers. While domestic violence continues to remain the biggest reason women dial the helpline, this year has seen a major rise in complaints linked to civil issues, such as marital disputes, maintenance battles, custody conflicts and personal rights violations. So far this year, civil issues have emerged as the second-largest complaint category on the helpline. More women are also reaching out for counselling and emotional support before situations escalate into violence or legal crises.Launched in 2012 after the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder, the toll-free 181 helpline provides 24/7 emergency and support services for women facing violence and distress in public and private spaces.The scale of calls itself reflects the growing dependence on the service. Data accessed by TOI shows that between Jan 1 and May 6 this year, the helpline received 1,39,583 calls and registered 6,541 cases, marking an increase of over 46% in registered cases compared to 4,480 cases during the corresponding period last year. Calls received during the same period in 2025 stood at 1,30,681.Officials clarified that not every call translates into a registered complaint. “Many calls are not registered as the callers are satisfied at that moment itself. For instance, some ask for the procedure for the Ladli scheme, or it could be about pension, other welfare schemes or counselling services, so they are told about the steps. The helpline is an important avenue for women in Delhi and has been fruitful so far,” said a control room official.In Jan, the helpline received 31,394 calls and registered 1,205 cases. Feb saw 31,012 calls and 1,379 registered cases. In March, the number of calls rose to 34,598 with 1,520 cases registered, while April recorded the highest numbers so far, with 35,938 calls and 1,599 registered cases.Domestic violence, however, continues to overshadow every other category. Between Jan and May 6 this year, 4,072 domestic violence complaints were registered, up from 3,236 during the corresponding period last year. In 2025, the other major complaint categories included other gender-based violence with 483 cases, sexual violence with 364 cases and cybercrime or abuse with 173 complaints.This year, the shift has come from outside the conventional violence categories. The jump in civil issues is particularly striking. During Jan-May 6 last year, complaints in this category stood at 151, but have surged nearly fivefold to 761 this year.Officials said the category captures a wide range of distress situations that often remain invisible until they spiral into crisis. These include family disputes related to child custody, divorce, maintenance and neighbour conflicts, along with workplace grievances, discrimination and abuse based on gender or caste, missing women complaints, institutional harassment and rights-related concerns. This was followed by sexual violence at 530 cases and cybercrime or abuse at 453 cases.Several complaints are also linked to emotional and psychological distress. Officials said women are increasingly reaching out over depression, anxiety, mental health concerns and trauma emerging from prolonged abuse, unstable family environments or social pressure.That changing pattern is also visible in another category introduced this year: counselling calls. Till May 6, the helpline had registered 337 counselling-related cases. Officials said many women are seeking emotional support and guided intervention to cope with trauma caused by violence, harassment, family breakdown and prolonged mental stress, signalling how the helpline is gradually evolving from an emergency response number into a broader support system for women in distress.
