25th April 2023
The Executive Centre, Bandra East, Mumbai
A Laadli Partners Meet was held on 25th April 2023, with Friends of Laadli and Ms Upala Devi, Regional Gender Technical Advisor,
UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office at the Executive Centre, Bandra East, Mumbai. Dr Sharada began with a presentation about Laadli's journey, highlighting its accomplishments and current efforts. The presentation focused on the impact of media on social consciousness and Laadli's media campaign, which works with journalists and media students to redefine gender perceptions and promote a positive image of women in society.
India has one of the largest numbers of young people with significant purchasing power and aspirations, making them a crucial target for media and advertising communication. However, there is still a strong son preference and daughter aversion in society and the stereotypes of what girls can and cannot do must be broken to open up the world for them. Girls are undervalued and denied the right to education, healthcare, and nutrition. They also face violence throughout their lives.
Dr Sharada elaborated on how Laadli Initiative works to build capacities, create a supportive ecosystem, institute reward mechanisms, and create public awareness to effect change. Laadli's impact has been significant, with 88% of awardees aspiring to receive a Laadli Media Award and 97% of awardees believing that they have been able to change the perception of people around them. The presentation also featured a research study by Samira Khan on gender sensitivity and the coverage of rape in Indian news media, which found that while there is more sensitivity in the language used, there is still a lack of medico-legal literacy and inclusiveness in reporting. A few advertisements were shown that provided a gender-sensitive narrative instead of being sexist.
The presentation was followed by an open discussion with Friends of Laadli and Team Population First, who shared their stories of being associated with Population First and the Laadli and included Anuja Gulati, our Executive Trustee S V Sista, Dolly Thakore, National Coordinator Laadli Media Awards, Suneeta Rao, Pop Singer and actor, Vinta Nanda, filmmaker, Samira Khan, journalist and feminist, Meghna Ghai Puri Chairperson, Whistling Woods International, Leena Pujari and Shalini Sinha, Professors at KC college, Rashmi Lamba, Film Festival Curator, Vinaya Deshpande, Senior Journalist, Shivam Gupta, and Manas Rath from Leapcities. Conversations were held on various gender issues, including the effects of Female Genital Mutilation on women and taboos about menstruation. Laws and implementations worldwide, such as Roe vs Wade, were also discussed.
Anuja Gulati concluded the presentation by asking Upala about collaboration opportunities, how to connect with other regional initiatives, and what role Population First and UNFPA India office can play in connecting media work with similar initiatives. Ms
Upala promised to conduct a region-wide webinar and provide opportunities to present the work done by Laadli.
The meeting concluded with the launch of the Call for Entries for the 13th Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity, 2023. Overall, the meeting was productive and informative, highlighting the crucial work being done by Laadli and its partners to effect change in society.