SHE Matters : Because every woman and child deserves a safe world.
SHE Matters is a program especially close to the heart of Dr. Sumira Chandhok, Co–Founder and Presiding President of Odser Charitable Trust.
Not because it is complex to run, but because it touches the quiet fears and lived realities of so many women and children in our communities. It speaks to the girl who hesitates before walking down a corridor. It speaks to the college student who avoids the late bus home. It speaks to the young employee who deletes inappropriate messages instead of reporting them.
It speaks to the mother who warns her daughter to be careful — because she herself never felt fully safe. Across homes, schools, colleges and workplaces, safety shapes everything; how people learn, how they work, how freely they move in the world.
For many, safety is invisible, something they have always had. For others, it is not guaranteed. It is a quiet, unspoken fear carried through hallways, classrooms, campuses and offices.
SHE exists to change that.
This is why Odser continues to champion SHE Matters with unwavering commitment.
SHE Matters is Odser’s safety and gender awareness vertical.
Through sensitisation, prevention programs, gender education and POSH compliance support, SHE builds environments where dignity is understood, upheld and protected.
We work with children who are learning how to navigate the world.
We work with adolescents who are building identity, boundaries and confidence.
We work with educators who shape school culture.
We work with workplaces that influence the safety and self-worth of women every day.
SHE creates informed youth.
SHE creates responsible adults.
SHE creates workplaces that understand the law, respect dignity and prevent harm.
SHE builds communities where safety is not a privilege, but a shared responsibility.
For more than a decade, SHE Matters has reached 3,500+ children, adolescents, educators and working professionals, helping shape safer, more aware
ecosystems across Pune.
Because when people understand their rights,
when they know how to respond,
when dignity becomes non-negotiable.
Safety stops being a fear and becomes a foundation.
A safe child learns better.
A safe adolescent grows with confidence.
A safe adult works with dignity.
A safe woman lives with freedom.
A safe community thrives.
Make a Difference Today
Create safer classrooms, campuses and workplaces.
Corporates can support POSH, school safety and gender awareness initiatives.
Read and Share SHE Matters stories of change
Safety is not a policy. Safety is a society’s character. The future cannot belong to those who are merely protected.
It must belong to those who feel free.
This is why SHE Matters.
A community is not defined by its policies, but by how people treat one another when no one is watching. Across the world, young people grow up with inconsistent guidance about respect, consent and boundaries.
Girls learn to stay alert before they learn to feel free. Teachers want to address difficult topics but lack the tools. Institutions hope to create safety but struggle to turn intention into action. This is not an Indian challenge. It is a human one.
SHE Matters steps into this gap with clarity and responsibility, building a culture where safety is not fear or restriction, but freedom.
Freedom to learn.
Freedom to speak.
Freedom to grow.
Freedom to work with dignity.
Freedom to exist without fear.
SHE strengthens the five foundations every society needs to thrive:
- Awareness to recognise risk and respect boundaries
- Empathy to understand lived realities beyond one’s own
- Legal understanding to uphold rights and responsibilities
- Institutional systems that protect without delay or bias
- Responsible behaviour that becomes habit, not instruction
When these elements come together, safety stops being something people must fight for. It becomes part of daily life… a shared expectation, upheld by individuals and reinforced by institutions.
The foundations of safer schools, campuses and workplaces.
SHE Matters is built on five pillars that shift behaviour, strengthen systems and shape cultures where dignity becomes non-negotiable. Each pillar addresses a different layer of safety: individual, relational, institutional and cultural.
#1 Safety Awareness & Prevention Education
Knowledge that protects. Awareness that empowers.
SHE delivers age-appropriate safety programs for children, adolescents, parents, educators and college youth. These sessions cover:
How We Deliver These Programs
- Interactive workshops
- Theatre-based learning and roleplay
- Real-life scenario discussions
- Peer leadership clubs
- Parent orientation & awareness sessions
Core Safety Concepts
- Personal safety & boundaries
- Safe and unsafe behaviour
- Consent & body autonomy
- Safe & unsafe touch (for younger children)
- Respectful behaviour & peer empathy
Response Skills
- Recognising unsafe situations
- How to seek help safely
- How to support a peer in distress
Digital & Social Safety
- Online and digital safety
- Cyberbullying & peer pressure
- Responsible digital behaviour
Children reporting unsafe incidents increased significantly (anonymised feedback)
1,200+ children received age-appropriate safety education, 60+ schools engaged through workshops
1,000+ youth & adults sensitised, improved peer support & responsible behaviour, positive teacher-reported changes in school culture
#2 Gender Sensitisation & Responsible Behaviour
Understanding that changes mindsets.
Workshops for teens, youth and adults that unpack:
- Gender norms & stereotypes
- Power dynamics & bias
- Respect & empathy
- Responsible behaviour
- Healthy masculinity
- Bystander intervention
Safety grows when mindsets shift. This pillar helps participants understand the impact of behaviour and contribute to safer, more inclusive environments.
500+ professionals trained, 40+ institutions supported
#3 POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Awareness & Compliance
Building workplaces where dignity is non-negotiable.
SHE Matters provides:
- Employee POSH training
- Manager & leadership sensitization
- Internal Committee (IC) capacity building
- Case-handling workshops
- Policy review support
- Compliance documentation guidance
- Workplace scenario-based learning
For @ Corporate teams, NGOs, MSMEs, hospitals, schools, colleges, factories and institutions.
Today – multiple corporates now POSH-compliant through Odser – and – Strong IC teams developed across NGOs, MSMEs and schools
40+ institutions strengthened, clear reporting pathways established, educators trained to identify and respond to concerns, leaders equipped to handle sensitive issues ethically
#4 Institutional Capacity Building
Turning intention into structure.
SHE Matters partners with schools, colleges and organisations to build:
- reporting pathways
- child protection protocols
- redressal systems
- prevention frameworks
Ensuring safety is practised consistently, not merely spoken about.
We partner with schools, colleges, NGOs and corporates to build:
- safety protocols & reporting pathways
- redressal frameworks
- child protection policies
- preventive systems
- escalation mechanisms
- monitoring & documentation structures
Good intentions fail without systems. This pillar ensures safety is practiced daily, not occasionally addressed after harm occurs.
#5 Community Culture & Collective Responsibility
Safety as a shared value.
Through community sessions, campaigns and dialogues, we strengthen:
- Bystander intervention
- Peer support
- Parent engagement
- Community-based prevention
- Neighbourhood responsibility
- Stronger parent–school relationships
Safety collapses when only the vulnerable carry the burden.
This pillar builds communities where everyone participates in prevention and accountability.
800+ community members engaged, increased early reporting of unsafe behaviour & bystander action
Together, these five pillars create a holistic safety ecosystem where:
- children grow with confidence
- adolescents navigate relationships with clarity
- educators address sensitive issues with competence
- workplaces uphold dignity with integrity
- communities respond to harm with accountability
- safety becomes a lived experience, not a hopeful expectation
This is the world SHE works to build.
A world where safety is not a privilege, but a shared promise.
Make a Difference Today
Create safer classrooms, campuses and workplaces.
Corporates can support POSH, school safety and gender awareness initiatives.
Read and Share SHE Matters stories of change
FAQs
1. Why the SHE Matters Model Works
Simple. Scalable. Impact-focused.
✔ Professionally designed sessions rooted in real scenarios
✔ Age-appropriate modules for children, teens and adults
✔ Legally accurate (aligned to POSH Act, POCSO Act)
✔ Delivered by certified POSH experts (your profile is a huge strength)
✔ Works across schools, colleges, NGOs and corporates
✔ Low-cost, high-impact model
✔ Can scale quickly with donor or CSR support
SHE builds awareness on the ground — where it matters most.
2. Who are SHE Matters programs for? Are sessions age-appropriate?
Children, adolescents, parents, teachers, corporate teams, institutions and communities. The modules differ for grades 1–4, 5–7, 8–10, 11–12, college youth and adults.
3. Is Odser certified to conduct POSH programs?
Yes — your founder is a government-certified POSH trainer.
4. Can corporates fulfill CSR through SHE Matters?
Yes — SHE Matters aligns with CSR under safety, gender equality and SDG 5.
5. Are sessions conducted online or offline?
Both options are available.
6. Do schools need special permissions?
Basic consent + school leadership approval is sufficient.