UP Transformation Dialogues: Shefali Shah calls for women’s leadership beyond safety

At the UP Transformation Dialogues, actress Shefali Shah spoke on gender equality and social inclusion during Fireside Chat 2: Gender Equality & Social Inclusion, From Safety to Leadership, moderated by Sanket Upadhyay.

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. She said women must have authority and participate in decision-making processes to shape policies and strategies that reflect their needs.

“Safety is preventing harm and dignity is enabling agency,” she said, adding that women must have “a place at the same table,” and that attitudes toward gender equality are shaped by how people are raised.

Shah also highlighted the role of women at the grassroots level, 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. She said empowering women economically requires providing them with the tools and platforms to become enterprising.

“Women are women’s biggest strength,” she said.

On the role of the Hindi film industry in empowering women, Shah 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.

The UP Transformation Dialogues is a flagship initiative by The Times of India that brings together policymakers, industry leaders, experts and change-makers to discuss Uttar Pradesh’s development journey.

The platform examines how governance reforms, infrastructure expansion and human development initiatives are driving change and positioning the state as a key contributor to India’s growth. Through discussions and data-driven insights, the initiative highlights progress across sectors, including education, infrastructure, economy, energy, law and order, and women empowerment, with the aim of generating actionable ideas for a future-ready Uttar Pradesh.

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