In India, people talk about respecting women but not all practice it, says PV Sindhu

Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu on Friday said that the recent wake of the #MeToo has brought in a lot of change in the people's mindsets and has educated both women and men about their responsibilities towards the society.

Sindhu was present here at the inauguration of SH(OUT) - Sexual Harassment Out, a first of its kind initiative by Hyderabad City Police along with Soroptimist International Organisation.

"I am very happy to learn that today Hyderabad Police and Soroptimist International jointly conducting an interactive symposium on prevention, prohibition of sexual harassment on women at the workplace. Sexual harassment is a type of discrimination. It is an unwanted or unwelcome sexual behaviour which makes a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. It can be physical, verbal, non-verbal or written. The current #MeToo movement has brought in a lot of awareness recently about the sexual harassment of women at the workplace. This movement has educated both women and men about the responsibilities towards the society," Sindhu said.

"Whenever I have been travelling abroad, there I have seen a lot of respect and privacy towards women... Well in India, people actually tell us about women that we should respect women, but I think there are very rare people that are actually practising it... It's just that they just say it, but don't practice it," she added.

However, Sidhu said that now the Indian society has "completely changed."

"Earlier it was like women should not work and stay at home, but now the society has completely changed. It is said that men and women are equal. I think the women have to be strong and we have to believe in ourselves," she added.

Speaking at the event, Shika Goel, Additional Commissioner, Crime and SIT, Incharge to She Teams, Hyderabad, told ANI, "The aim of the program is to ensure that the provisions of the act of sexual harassment are implemented in all workplaces. This is the first symposium in which we have called representatives from corporate companies, Telugu film industry, universities, educational field and hospitalities. "

Goel added, "We are ensuring to see that Internal Complaints Committee is set in each and every organisation where women are functioning and they should perform the duties and ensure that women are able to complain and their complaints are redressed in the fairest and transparent manner."