HYDERABAD: “Women safety must be our priority. It is important for everyone — from governments and corporations to individuals — to join hands to make India a safer place for women.” This was a common narrative that steered the discussion amongst a group of people, who participated in a roundtable conference on the topic ‘Anti-rape and Abuse’ on Tuesday at T-Hub.
The meeting, which was attended by doctors, filmmakers, NGOs and startups, discussed the roles of education, policies, media, films and law in fighting crime against women. “We do not realise how cinema plays a major role in shaping the image of women in society. Currently, strong women personas take a backseat in popular cinema. We need more powerful women characters. We also need to stop objectifying women in cinemas,” said V Tanu a filmmaker.
The roundtable was put together so that people could share the best practices and ways forward to advance and amplify women safety.
While many at the event claimed that education could be used as a tool to dispel prejudices against women among both urban and rural sections, others discussed on novel initiatives like community policing, policy awareness and use of technology to make the city safe haven for the women.