HYDERABAD, May 19 (IANS) The Telangana Police on Friday launched an initiative aimed at making workplaces safer for women.
The initiative called ‘Sahas’ was launched by Home Minister Mohd Mehmood Ali in the presence of Director General of Police Anjani Kumar, Additional DGP, Women’s Safety Wing Shikha Goel, Femina Miss India Manasa Varanasi and senior representatives from the industry.
Sahas, which in most Indian languages means ‘brave’, is a program aimed at strengthening the ecosystem to support women who face sexual harassment in the workplace. Under this initiative, Sahas Microsite, Sahas Sathi Chatbot, Sahas Whatsapp number, forum and online support facilities have been launched.
Mohamud Ali stated that Telangana continues to lead in terms of pioneering initiatives involving government-industry partnerships. He praised the efforts of the state police in working hard to reduce crime in the country, while striving to deal with all related issues in a humane manner.
DGP Anjani Kumar described ‘Sahas’ as a natural next step towards reducing vulnerabilities in workplaces.
Telangana will, according to a conservative estimate, have more than 3 employers and over time it will be Team Sahas endeavor to ensure that all employers are connected and made aware through outreach activities and training. He also asked the Sahas Steering Committee to ensure the initiation of a large-scale training campaign to raise awareness among stakeholders, including subsidiaries and government departments as well.
Goel noted that the state has the largest percentage of working women in the country, and this can only be achieved because of the positive atmosphere that employers in Telangana have created over time.
She stated that SAHAS is the first initiative of its kind in the country, which involves collaboration between industrial bodies and the state police force.
C. Shekar Reddy, President, CII&IWN stated that with his long experience as an entrepreneur and business owner, he believed that every business owner in Telangana was passionate about the safety and well-being of the female workforce.
Under the Sahas initiative, they will leverage the support provided to them through legal experts and training in creating an enabling ecosystem and strengthening existing support channels in their organizations.
– Jans
ms / vd
