The Telangana government on Saturday (March 7, 2026) launched the ‘Stand with Her’ campaign, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy calling on youth to become ambassadors for women’s safety and stressing that protecting women is a shared social responsibility.
The ‘Stand With Her’ initiative, launched by the Women Safety Wing of the Telangana Police, is a prevention campaign that frames violence against women as a continuum, starting with everyday acts of disrespect like staring, sexist remarks, stalking, online harassment and groping, which can escalate into more serious forms of abuse.
The campaign seeks to shift the narrative from women being responsible for their own protection to recognizing that women’s safety is a collective societal responsibility. Her central message calls for men to move from silence to intervention and visible leadership in the fight against harassment.
Addressing a launch event ahead of International Women’s Day, the chief minister said the state government is committed to strengthening systems that protect women both online and offline. He said the Telangana Women Security Unit was functioning as per UNICEF guidelines and saluted the female officers serving in the unit.
Mr. Reddy said that the celebration of women’s achievements should not be limited to one day. He noted that the Congress tradition has long provided women with leadership roles, citing Pratibha Patil, Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Meira Kumar as examples of women who held powerful positions in public life.
He added that while women are often described as symbols of strength, many still do not feel safe in society, which he says is deeply troubling. “This is why the Telangana government has expanded the role of protecting women not only in physical crimes but also in cyber crimes,” he said, adding that threats to women’s safety are increasingly occurring in digital spaces.
The chief minister said that government initiatives alone cannot ensure security and called for greater social responsibility. He said people need to respond to harassment faced by any woman the same way they would if it happened to a family member. “Women’s safety is not only the responsibility of the government but society as a whole,” he said.
Highlighting the economic empowerment measures, Mr. Reddy said areas like Hitec City are not only home to global companies like Microsoft, Infosys and Wipro, but also spaces where women entrepreneurs are encouraged. He pointed to a three-acre plot of land reserved for Indira Mahila Shakti stalls where women can sell produce and earn a living.
He said the government had ensured that women had the right to choose their profession and workplace, while stressing that many key roles in the administration and the police were already held by female civil servants and bureaucrats.
Calling on the younger generation to take the lead, the Chief Minister said the youth of Telangana should be brand ambassadors for women safety. “Don’t close your eyes to any atrocity against women,” he said, adding that social and online crimes against women are on the rise and the cyber crime wing is working to tackle these menaces.
Telangana Additional Director General of Women Security Police Charu Sinha said the initiative marks the beginning of a year-long campaign to tackle sexist behavior in everyday spaces, including homes, educational institutions, public transport, streets and workplaces.
She explained that the program is designed to be a male-led platform that encourages boys and men to become “bystanders rather than bystanders”. According to her, the campaign is not about protecting women, but about ensuring respect for them.
According to Ms. Sinha, the initiative will run in a structured monthly format, focusing on a specific theme each month through awareness events and digital awareness campaigns.
Zelalem Birhanu Taffesse, Head of Field Office, UNICEF Hyderabad, said that gender-based crimes often involve male perpetrators and stressed the need to address deep-rooted societal attitudes.
He said many capable women who achieve well academically face discrimination in the workplace due to a sexist environment, forcing some to abandon their career ambitions. He stressed that gender equality must start at home by teaching children to respect all genders equally and demonstrating these values in everyday life.
Mr Taffesse also called for equal pay for equal work, particularly in the private sector, and said hiring decisions must be based solely on ability. He added that even everyday behavior, including how women are spoken about in families, shapes attitudes in society.
Yogita Rama, principal secretary, higher and school education department, said education must go beyond academic achievement. “The goal of education is not only to produce successful professionals but also better individuals,” she said. “If our institutions only sharpen the mind and do not build character, then something is seriously wrong.”
Published – March 7, 2026 1:46 PM IST
