Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar asserted that silence should never be mistaken for weakness among women, while addressing the Nayi Chetana 4.0 National Gender Equality Campaign in Tulluru, Guntur district, on December 13. The programme was organized by the Ministry of Rural Development with DRDA support. As part of the initiative, ministers inaugurated the Gender Resource Centre (GRC) at the CRDA Skill Hub and launched awareness exhibitions and cultural programmes. Dr. Chandrasekhar stated that the core objective of Nayi Chetana 4.0 is to reduce gender discrimination and address social evils such as domestic violence, child marriages, and gender inequality. He highlighted alarming statistics, noting that over 4.5 lakh domestic violence cases are reported nationwide, while many incidents go unreported due to social stigma.

The Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to women’s safety and empowerment through shelter homes funded with ₹5 lakh each, SHG-led management, and dedicated helplines such as 181 for immediate support. He urged women to become financially independent by leveraging government welfare schemes and skill training programmes. Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, MSME Minister Kondapalli Srinivas, and MLA Tenali Sravan Kumar underlined that gender equality begins at home and stressed collective responsibility for women’s dignity and safety. Senior officials and women leaders shared inspirational stories of transformation through Self-Help Groups, while exhibitions, health camps, SHG product stalls, and awareness programmes reinforced the message of women-led social and economic progress.