Senior police officials at the Training of Trainers programme at the National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Yousufguda, Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
The Women Safety Wing (WSW) of the Telangana Police on Friday (July 17, 2026) trained Lecturers and Assistant Professors from government degree colleges and universities as Master Trainers to spearhead the Statewide rollout of its flagship ‘Stand with Her’ campaign aimed at promoting gender-sensitive campuses and encouraging men and boys to actively prevent gender-based violence.
What is ‘Stand with Her’ campaign?
The ‘Stand with Her’ campaign is a behavioural change initiative designed to encourage men and boys to recognise and challenge inappropriate behaviour, question gender stereotypes and support women in creating safe, respectful and inclusive educational institutions and communities. Through the latest training programme, the Women Safety Wing aims to build a network of educators who will promote these values across campuses in the State.
The Training of Trainers (ToT) programme was organised at the National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NI-MSME) in Yousufguda, Hyderabad. Faculty members from higher educational institutions across the State participated in the programme and will now conduct similar training sessions in their respective institutions as part of the campaign’s Statewide expansion.
Lecturers and Assistant Professors from government degree colleges and universities at the Training of Trainers programme at the National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Yousufguda, Hyderabad.
The inaugural session was attended by Charu Sinha, Director General of the Women Safety Wing; Parimala Hana Nutan, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Women Safety Wing; Rajendra Singh, Joint Director, Department of Education; Soundarya Joseph from the Department of School Education, and Asiya Sherwani, Head of Training, Women Safety Wing.
Addressing the participants, Ms. Sinha said preventing gender-based violence requires the active involvement of men and boys and stressed that educational institutions play a critical role in shaping attitudes and behaviour. “A significant volume of harassment experienced by women continues to go unreported. She noted that the normalization of inappropriate behaviour is one of the primary reasons behind the campaign and stressed that many young boys are never taught that certain behaviours are unacceptable, while peer groups often reinforce such conduct,” she said.
A call for men to become allies
Mr. Singh stated that the campaign is not asking women to become more careful but is calling upon men to become allies. He emphasised that safety should not be driven by fear but by mutual respect and encouraged educators to play a transformative role in nurturing values of equality and responsible citizenship among students.
Training aspects
The training, led by Ms. Sherwani and a team of facilitators, featured interactive sessions on gender sensitivity, identifying inappropriate behaviour, bystander intervention, facilitation techniques and practical strategies for implementing the campaign in higher educational institutions.
The WSW said the programme marks the beginning of a Statewide awareness and capacity-building drive aimed at creating educational environments where students and staff feel empowered to speak up against gender-based discrimination and violence.
Published – July 17, 2026 04:43 pm IST
