Hyderabad: On the eve of International Women’s Day, chief minister A Revanth Reddy said men should not remain bystanders and must instead step in to help women in distress by taking social responsibility, much like they would if a woman from their own family faced harassment.Revanth made the statement while launching a year-long campaign encouraging men to stand up for women, ‘Stand With Her’, initiated by the Women Safety Wing (WSW), with TOI as a partner. The campaign aims to turn men into upstanders rather than bystanders, Revanth said.The chief minister said that with the spread of technology, incidents of women falling prey to harassment on social media have increased.“Earlier, it was women in urban areas, students in educational institutions, or women in public places who commonly faced harassment. But now, with the spread of technology, social media is playing an important role in the harassment of women. Here, we all have to take some responsibility,” he said.He said ensuring women’s safety cannot be achieved merely by making laws or leaving the responsibility entirely to security agencies.“One should take social responsibility to solve this problem. If a woman in our family becomes a victim of harassment, at an educational institution, workplace, or public place, we react strongly. Men must react in the same way when they see any woman in distress and help prevent harm,” Revanth said.Financial empowermentHe added that financial empowerment of women is key to addressing many social problems. Referring to state govt initiatives, the chief minister said that efforts are being made to promote women’s empowerment by issuing ration cards, housing allotments, and other benefits in the names of women.Additional Director General of Police (CID & WSW) Charu Sinha said that when violence against women is discussed, people often think only of extreme incidents.“Sexist comments, harassment in public places, stalking, online abuse, intimidation, and, most importantly, the silence of peers who witness disrespect and choose not to react are also forms of violence,” she said.She stressed the need for a behavioural and cultural shift. She also warned against normalising harassment.“An incident of stalking can escalate into an acid attack. Casual online chatting can lead to sextortion,” Charu said.Furthermore, during the event, WSW launched awareness songs and videos on the importance of women’s safety with the support of Sai Durgha Tej and Tollywood singer V Hemachandra.The year-long campaign will be implemented in partnership with the education, women and child welfare department and universities across Telangana.
