Seethakka unveils tech-driven blueprint for women’s safety

In a decisive move to strengthen women’s safety and empowerment across the state, Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Women & Child Welfare Minister Danasari Anasuya aka Seethakka convened a high level review meeting at the Secretariat on Monday with senior officials from key departments.

The meeting focused on formulating an integrated and technology driven strategy to address emerging challenges faced by women in both urban and rural areas.

Senior officials, including Sanjay Kumar, Shikha Goel, Christina Chongthu, Anita Ramachandran, Priyanka Varghese, Shruti Ojha and Divya Devarajan participated in the deliberations.

While existing initiatives such as She Teams, Bharosa Centres and cybercrime monitoring mechanisms were acknowledged as effective, the meeting identified systemic gaps in areas such as educational institutions, hostels, workplaces, night travel, digital platforms, and the unorganised sector.

Minister Seethakka emphasised that women’s safety must not be viewed solely as a legal issue but as a coordinated governance responsibility involving infrastructure, technology, awareness, and accountability. She proposed mandatory audits of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) in educational and corporate institutions.

GPS enabled safe transport for women employees working beyond 8 pm, and strengthened CCTV surveillance in public transport with security audits during peak hours.

Special registration and grievance mechanisms for women in the unorganised sector were also discussed. The Minister called for swift action against cybercrimes such as morphing, stalking, and blackmail, along with counselling support for victims.

She also stressed economic rehabilitation measures for survivors of domestic violence through government backed loans and self employment opportunities.

The formation of a state level Women’s Safety Convergence Task Force involving multiple departments was proposed. Additionally, health profiling for women self-help group members and enforcement of maternity benefits in the private sector were emphasised.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Minister announced that one crore ‘Indiramma Mahila Shakti’ sarees would be distributed again in the upcoming financial year, reaffirming the government’s commitment to women’s welfare and empowerment.