The Hyderabad City Security Council (HCSC) has launched a new program to create safer and more respectful spaces for women in the community. This initiative comes in response to the rising incidents of family disharmony caused by the neglect of women. HCSC has developed community-based interventions to address these issues, and one such program is called “MITRA.”
MITRA is led by Sayodhya, an NGO that works with women in distress. The goal of the initiative is to build capacity in the Amberpet area by training 100 women influencers. These women will be trained to identify early mental health issues and provide support to women who are facing abuse and violence. The program is financially supported by Raheja IT Park through HCSC, and the Department of Psychology at Osmania University is also collaborating on this impactful initiative.
The program was inaugurated on August 22nd at Ambedkar Community Hall in Bathukammakunta, Amberpet. The event was attended by several notable individuals, including Dr. B. Balaswamy, DCP of East Zone, and C. Shekar Reddy, Secretary General of HCSC. Other attendees included J. Narsaiah, Additional DCP of East Zone, Prasant Kumar, Joint Secretary of CSR Forum, Geeta Goti, Joint Secretary of Women Forum HCSC, Dr. Swathi, Head of the Department of Psychology at Osmania University, Mrudula Vemulapati, General Secretary of Sayodhya, Kondaveeti Satyavati of Bhumika Women Collective, and D.P. Padmavathy, former corporator of Amberpet.
The program has several key objectives. First, it aims to train 100 women influencers to recognize early signs of mental health issues, improve their psychological first aid skills, and enhance access to resources. Second, the program seeks to build community capacity through targeted two-day training sessions that focus on family well-being and child development.
The program has already made significant progress. An early identification module for mental health challenges has been developed with guidance from the Department of Psychology at Osmania University. Counsellors have also been empaneled at the Mythri Family Support Centre in Amberpet, where they received training as Trainers of Trainers (ToT). The first batch of training sessions has been conducted with these counsellors.
The participants in the training sessions included Lady Police Constables, Asha workers, Anganwadi workers, and CDEW members. By September, these 100 trained frontline workers will begin community outreach, providing essential support to women in need. This is a groundbreaking initiative and could serve as a model for similar programs in the future.
Women identified at the community level will be referred to the Mythri Centre for further assessment by trained personnel. They will receive appropriate advice and support for a year until they fully recover.
The Hyderabad City Security Council is located at the ICCC Building, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.
