‘If we want girls to be safe, boys should be raised right’

Lucknow: Voicing concern over women safety, actor Shefali Shah said that awareness holds the key to security and change must start at home.Speaking on ‘Gender equality and social inclusion: From safety to leadership', at the UP Transformation Dialogues, Shah said, "The problem must be addressed at its root. So, if we want girls to be safe, we should raise our boys right."
Responding to a question on how society can move from protection to dignity for women, Shah said, "Safety should be seen as a baseline, not the end goal. Women must have authority and participate in decision-making processes to shape policies and strategies that reflect their needs."She said that women must have "a place at the same table". "It's not about celebrating her for a day, like Women's Day or Valentine's Day. It's not about giving a medal or flowers to women, but it's about basic respect that should be given throughout," Shah said.She also highlighted the role of women at the grassroots, particularly in sectors such as hospitality, food, and crafts, and said many operate from their homes without access to adequate resources to scale their work.Citing an example of Lizzat Papad started by seven women, Shah said, "Empowering women economically requires providing them with the tools and platforms to become enterprising. Women are women's biggest strength."On the role of the Hindi film industry in empowering women, she said storytelling remains a powerful platform for social change. "We have miles to go. Films are the strongest platform for storytelling; now the woman is not just the subject of a story, they are the storyteller," she said.She also noted the importance of inclusive representation, including voices from the LGBTQ community, minority backgrounds and different social classes. "We need to normalise this, and look at issues instead of communities," she said.