Women's counseling and support center

A center every prefecture (都道府県) must set up, and a designated city (指定都市, one of the large cities a Cabinet Order designates under the Local Autonomy Act) may, under the Act on Support for Women Facing Difficult Problems (Article 9, paragraphs (1) and (2)). It counsels women facing difficult problems in their daily or social life — from sexual harm, their family situation, their relations with the community or other circumstances — and women at risk of them (Article 2), or refers them to a women's counseling and support officer (女性相談支援員) or another counseling body, keeps them and the family with them safe in an emergency and gives them temporary protection, gives medical or psychological help, and helps them toward living on their own and toward facilities where they can live under protection (Article 9, paragraph (3)). It must have a facility for that temporary protection, which it gives where urgent protection is found necessary or in the other cases an Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare sets, itself or by entrusting someone who meets the standards the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare sets (Article 9, paragraphs (6) and (7)). The Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims has a prefecture make its center, or another suitable facility, serve as a spousal violence counseling and support center (配偶者暴力相談支援センター), and has the center give victims of spousal violence their temporary protection (Article 3, paragraphs (1) and (4)).