Gender Sensitivity
4.2.2013. Mumbai
I met Sharda of Population First
for the first time at a seminar discussing the portrayal of women in
television. She read out a detailed paper on the recurrent stereotyping in
serials. Ever since we have remained in contact and I have learned more about
the activities of Population First which works towards gender sensitivity. When
we chatted over coffee after the seminar she explained that the reason the
media and the corporate are often insensitive to gender stereotyping because
they are a part of the system via editorial, advertisements and sponsors
attached to the publishing group.
She said institutional mechanisms
are not available to build discourse between the media and the social sector on
the subject and those few who make the effort are somehow relegated to a secondary
position. To initiate the first step in the right direction Population First instituted the Laadli Media
Awards in 2007 to promote gender sensitivity in media. It was the first of its
kind in the globe and the goal was to highlights, acknowledges and reward
writings on gender sensitive from all mediums.
It was
not easy. The process involved appointing a jury and a yearlong advocacy
initiative with senior editors, media leaders, journalists, and cultural icons
that culminates to keep abreast with the changing world. The objective of The Laadli Media Awards is to showcase and
applaud such efforts and they have been doing it for seven years.
I will be
there at NCPA tomorrow to support their endeavor which is the need of the hour,
will you?
Bhawana Somaaya/
www.bhawanasomaaya.com
No comments:
Post a Comment