Odisha government directs HEIs to establish Shaktishree Empowerment Cells
In a letter to all the vice-chancellors and college principals on Saturday, director of higher education Kaliprasanna Mahapatra said the Shaktishree Empowerment Cells will be established as a permanent, round-the-year body in all colleges and universities across the state. The student-led cell will promote security, empowerment and safe environment on campuses for female students and staff.
It will comprise a Shaktishree Sanjojika (female faculty member), Shaktishree Saathi (peer leader among girl students), and female class representatives from both UG and PG classes. A calendar of activities will be prepared for the cells which will include addressing issues related to gender-based violence. These cells will conduct a six-day training programme on self-defence, legal rights, and mental health. Apart from constituting the cells, the institutions have been asked to select Shaktishree Saathis after constituting screening committees for the purpose. The Saathis will coordinate with the Shaktishree Sanjojika to conduct training sessions and workshops on campus safety, selfdefence, among other things.
The Shaktishree initiative not only aims to prevent atrocities but also empowers female students through self-defence training, legal awareness, and mental health support. It is designed to create a robust safety framework across 16 universities and 730 government and aided colleges under the Higher Education department.
As a part of the initiative, a dedicated app will also be developed to provide access to internal complaints committees (ICCs), facilitate anonymous complaint registration via text, audio, or video, mental health support through Tele-MANAS, and an SOS button for immediate assistance. The app will also connect students to local committees for unresolved issues.
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