'Mental Health not a side issue, but a life issue,' says Karnataka Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar at Mpowering Minds Summit

Women are the backbone of families, communities, and the workforce, yet behind this strength lies a silent load of caregiving, societal expectations, and personal sacrifice. While speaking at the Mpowering Minds: Women’s Health Summit 2026 in Bengaluru, Lakmi Hebbalkar, the Minister of Women and Child Development, Disabled and Senior-Citizens Empowerment of Karnataka, said that mental health is not a side issue; it is a life issue. 

“Many smiles hide stress. Many strong women carry unseen battles. Silent struggles are still real struggles. From a young girl facing academic pressure to a woman balancing career and home. To a mother navigating life and changes...To an elderly woman facing loneliness...Every stage brings a new challenge,” said Hebbalkar.

Highlighting a study, Hebbalkar said that thousands of women in Karnataka have mental health concerns. “These are not just numbers. These are lives, families and futures. Let us be clear that no single institution can solve this alone. It takes society to support a mind. Governments, institutions, communities and each one of us here has a responsibility. Our mission must be simple and strong. Create space where women feel safe, create systems where women feel supported. Create a society where women feel valued,” remarked Hebbalkar.

Healthy women build healthy families, healthy families build a healthy nation, and a healthy nation builds a strong future, she added. 

Hebbalkar also observed that in many households, if a daughter is born before a son, she assumes a maternal role toward her younger brother. Later, this same girl undergoes profound hormonal shifts at every stage of life—from pregnancy to post-menopause—yet often finds herself unable to discuss these concerns openly with anyone.

At the event, Hebbalkar also congratulated Neerja Birla and her team, who had been relentlessly working for women and children, especially in mental health, for the last decade. 

Dr Prathima Murthy, the director of  NIMHANS Bengaluru, stressed the importance of integrating mental health with physical health and empowerment of women. “The empowerment of women in society becomes very critical as they face challenges right from birth, growing up in the adolescent stage and later on during childbearing. One of the most important things towards women's empowerment is to actually cherish and acknowledge women's role in society,” said Murthy.