Actor Adivi Sesh has consistently used his public platform to lend his voice to issues that matter to society, encouraging greater awareness and collective responsibility around causes that affect people and communities. Often stepping forward to speak about concerns that deserve wider attention from animal welfare to matters of public safety. The actor believes that those with influence also have a responsibility to use their voices for meaningful social awareness.
This time, Adivi is lending his voice to the issue of women’s safety, in association with Hyderabad Police. He believes that despite growing conversations around the subject, women’s safety continues to remain a concern and requires greater awareness and collective responsibility.
“Women’s safety is a big thing and it is still a matter of concern in today’s day and age. People who are in positions of power and influence need to be much more vocal and speak up about women’s safety. If we have a platform, we should use it to create awareness and encourage people to speak up and act,” says Adivi.
For the actor, creating a safer environment for women also begins with the way people behave in everyday spaces, including workplaces. He believes equality cannot simply exist as a policy but has to be reflected in everyday interactions. “An inclusive workplace is built in the smallest everyday moments. Who gets heard in a meeting, who gets interrupted, whose idea gets credit, who is considered for an opportunity and who gets invited into the important conversations, these things may seem small individually, but together they define the culture of a workplace,” he says.
He believes men, particularly those in positions of influence, have an important role to play in creating safer and more equal spaces. “It is not enough to say that we support equality. We have to mentor women, support their growth, make sure they are part of important conversations and create opportunities for them to lead. And when we hear sexist remarks or see exclusion happening around us, we have to be willing to speak up.”
Through his association with Hyderabad Police, Adivi is using his public platform to initiate the conversation around women’s safety and encourage greater awareness. For him, speaking up is a responsibility and creating safer spaces begins when individuals choose to be more aware, more respectful and more willing to act.
