Telangana launches initiative to make workplaces safer for women

Hyderabad: The Telangana Police on Friday launched an initiative towards making workplaces safer for women.

Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali launched the initiative called ‘Sahas’ in the presence of Director General of Police Anjani Kumar, Additional DGP, Women Safety Wing Shikha Goel, Femina Miss India Manasa Varanasi and senior representatives from industry.

Sahas, which in most Indian languages means “courage”, is a programme that aims to strengthen the ecosystem of support for women who face workplace sexual harassment. Under the initiative, the Sahas Microsite, Sahas Sathi Chatbot, Sahas Whatsapp Number, Forum and online support facilities were launched.

Mahmood Ali stated that Telangana continues to lead the way in terms of groundbreaking initiatives involving government-industry partnerships. He lauded the efforts of the state police in working hard to reduce crime in the state, whilst striving to approach all relevant issues in a humane manner.

DGP Anjani Kumar called ‘Sahas’ the natural next step towards reducing vulnerabilities in workplaces.

Telangana, on a conservative estimate, will have over 3 lakh employers and over time, it will be the endeavor of Sahas team to ensure that all employers are connected and sensitised through awareness and training activities. He also asked the Sahas Steering Committee to ensure roll out of a massive awareness cum training campaign among their stakeholders, including affiliate companies, and government departments as well.

Goel noted that the state has the largest percentage of working women in the country, and this could only be possible due to the positive atmosphere employers of Telangana have created over time.

She stated that Sahas a first of its kind initiative in the country, involving a collaboration between industry bodies and a state police force.

C. Shekar Reddy, Chairman, CII & IWN stated that in his long experience as an entrepreneur and an employer, he believed that every employer in Telangana was passionate about the safety and well being of the women workforce.

Under Sahas initiative, they will be benefited by the support extended to them through legal and training experts in creation of an enabling ecosystem and strengthening of existing support channels in their organisations.