Kerala will bring in a special law to protect women from cyber attacks and online humiliation as part of a new women's policy that promises greater safety, economic freedom and equal participation in decision-making, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced on Monday.

Source: IANS

Satheesan made the announcement while inaugurating Her Summit 2026, a two-day national summit on the new women's policy in Thiruvananthapuram. The summit, titled 'New Era Women's Policy Her Summit 2026', is organised by the Women and Child Development Department under its 'With My Daughter' initiative.

The Chief Minister said the government would implement the policy 'without compromise', with protections extending to violence, harassment and humiliation at home, at workplaces and in public spaces. Once enacted, the proposed cyber law would be among the few state-level legislative frameworks in India aimed specifically at digital violence against women.

Five focus areas of the policy

According to the government, the policy covers five broad areas: protection from cyber attacks and physical violence; financial independence through marketing support and entrepreneurship programmes; greater participation of women in governance and budget decisions; integration of gender equality into education; and special attention to adolescent health, menstrual health, mental health and postpartum depression.

Women and Child Development Minister Bindu Krishna said the policy would support women entrepreneurs with financial and technical assistance and open better opportunities in the green economy and emerging employment sectors. She said the policy was being prepared through consultations with homemakers, working women, entrepreneurs, elected representatives, young girls and men, and would not be finalised by imposing decisions from above. Krishna had earlier said the government aims to announce the new policy on March 8, International Women's Day, next year.