Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh is the umbrella under which the Government of India’s women’s safety and empowerment services come together — One Stop Centres (Sakhi) for women in distress, the Women Helpline 181, and Shakti Sadan hostels including working women hostels. This guide explains what Mission Shakti covers, how each service works, who it is for, and how to reach it in your district through the Women Development and Child Welfare Department.

Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh: What the Umbrella Covers

Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh is the state-level delivery of the Government of India’s Mission Shakti programme, which brings together the services for women’s safety and empowerment under one umbrella. Instead of a woman in distress having to find her way between separate offices — the police, the hospital, the legal aid office, the shelter — Mission Shakti joins them up, so that the help is in one place or one call away.

The umbrella has two broad aims. The first is safety: immediate help for a woman facing violence, harassment or distress, through the helpline and the One Stop Centres. The second is empowerment: support that helps women stand on their own feet, including hostels for working women and the self-help group movement. The two aims work together — safety without a way to earn a living is incomplete, and a livelihood without safety is fragile.

One Stop Centres (Sakhi): Help in One Place

One Stop Centres, called Sakhi, are the heart of Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh. A woman in distress can go to a One Stop Centre and get, in one place, medical help, police assistance, legal aid and counselling, and temporary shelter if she needs somewhere safe to stay. The centre is designed so that a woman does not have to repeat her story to five different offices, and does not have to travel between them while she is in crisis.

The centres work at district level, through the Women Development and Child Welfare Department. If you or someone you know needs help, the One Stop Centre is the place to go — or call the Women Helpline 181 first, and they will guide you to the nearest centre. Keep the number 181 saved in your phone, and tell it to the women in your family. A separate, detailed guide to the centres will follow in this series.

Women Helpline 181: The Number to Call

The Women Helpline 181 is the phone number at the centre of Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh. A woman facing violence, harassment, or any situation where she feels unsafe can call 181 and get help and guidance. The helpline can connect the caller to the police, to a One Stop Centre, to medical help, or to counselling, depending on what is needed.

Call 181 when you need help, and call it early — do not wait until a situation becomes dangerous. If there is an immediate physical danger, call the police emergency number 112, and for a medical emergency call 108 for the ambulance. The helpline is free, and it is there for any woman, in any district, at any time she needs it. If you are calling for someone else — a neighbour, a relative, a colleague — stay with her while you call, and do not leave her alone if she is in danger.

Shakti Sadan and Working Women Hostels

Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh also covers Shakti Sadan and the hostels for working women, known as Sakhi Niwas. These are safe, affordable places for women who need somewhere to stay — women who have left a violent home, women who have come to a city for work and need a safe place to live, and women who need temporary shelter while they get back on their feet.

Working women hostels matter because a woman who has a job but no safe place to stay is vulnerable, however hard she works. A hostel gives her a roof, a community and a base from which to work, save and plan. If you need a hostel, ask at the Women Development and Child Welfare Department in your district, or call 181 and ask where the nearest hostel is. A separate, detailed guide to working women hostels will follow in this series.

How to Reach Mission Shakti Services in Your District

To reach Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh services, start with the helpline 181, which can guide you to the right service in your district. For a One Stop Centre, go to the centre in your district or ask the helpline where it is. For a hostel, ask the Women Development and Child Welfare Department in your district, or call 181.

If you are helping someone else reach these services, go with her if you can. A woman in distress may find it hard to make the call or the journey alone, and a trusted person beside her makes it easier. Do not speak for her unless she asks you to — let her tell her own story to the helpline or the centre, and be there to support her while she does.

Keep your documents ready when you seek help — your Aadhaar card and any records of what happened — but do not let a missing document stop you from calling 181 or going to a centre: in an emergency, the help comes first and the paperwork follows.

If a service refuses you or you are treated badly, note the details and raise it through the grievance helpline 1902 or the portal at gsws-nbm.ap.gov.in. For economic support, see our guide to Stree Shakti Women SHGs in AP, and for child welfare services under the same department, our guide to the AP Mission Vatsalya Scheme 2026. For cash support for women, see our guide to the Aadabidda Nidhi Scheme — note that the ₹1,500 monthly benefit was announced but has not been launched.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh

What is Mission Shakti?

Mission Shakti is the Government of India’s umbrella programme for women’s safety and empowerment. In Andhra Pradesh it brings together One Stop Centres (Sakhi), the Women Helpline 181, and Shakti Sadan and working women hostels.

What is the Women Helpline number?

181. Call it for help and guidance if you are facing violence, harassment or distress. For an immediate physical danger, call the police emergency number 112; for a medical emergency, call 108.

What does a One Stop Centre do?

It gives a woman in distress medical help, police assistance, legal aid, counselling and temporary shelter, all in one place, so she does not have to go to five different offices.

Are Mission Shakti services free?

Yes. The helpline, the One Stop Centres and the support services under Mission Shakti are free for the women who use them.

Where can I get more information?

On the Ministry of Women and Child Development site at wcd.nic.in and the Andhra Pradesh government portal at ap.gov.in. For grievances, use gsws-nbm.ap.gov.in or call 1902.

Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh is the safety net and the ladder together: the 181 helpline and the Sakhi One Stop Centres for a woman in distress, and the hostels and self-help groups for the life after. Save 181 in your phone today, tell it to the women in your family, and use it early — help that is asked for in time is help that works.

Last updated: November 2026