Keeping in view the importance of gender sensitivity in India, the Population First, has announced to prepare a manifesto for Haryana Assembly elections so that the political parties can give their commitments on these issues.
In Haryana, the Assembly polls are likely to be held in October. Population First, had earlier prepared a manifesto for women during the lok Sabha election to seek commitments on the issues of gender bias.
The Population First is an organisation advocating initiatives for a balanced, planned and stable population. It was registered in March 2002 under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950 and is supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
The Director of the Mumbai-based Population First, Dr Al Sharda announced that the organisation will soon prepare a manifesto for Haryana Assembly elections so that the political parties can give their commitments on these issues. Gender sensitivity in north India is important and sex ratio is very poor in most of States. Even cases of discrimination and violence are very high in North Indian societies, she said.
Dr Sharda said Indian Advertisers Association has been very actively organising trainings for gender sensitisation. As a result, a lot of advertisements are seen against typical stereo-types. lately, even Bollywood Scriptwriters Association had a session with Population First to make film scripts gender sensitive.
Dr Sharda was in Chandigarh on Thursday to announce entries for laadli media awards. The entries were invited from entire north India at a Press conference at Chandigarh Press Club by Dr Al Sharda.
Chhattisgarh will host this year’s award ceremony for north India. The entries from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for laadli media awards, world’s only exclusive media award to promote gender sensitivity, was today declared open.
Entries have to be sent for material published, broadcast and telecast between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2014. The last date for sending entries is October 31. Material published on websites is also invited for awards, she said.
As many as 498 journalists in 12 languages have been given away laadli awards since 2007 when the first recognition was given. last year, as many as 1700 entries were received. A jury of prominent journalists and civil society personalities decide awards. Population First also awards four fellowships of Rs 50,000 each for publishing four investigative stories related to gender bias.
She said that the entries for awards should analyse policies, programmes and laws from a gender perspective. Entries should highlight influence of gender perceptions on the functioning of judiciary, police, administration and other service providers. The entries should challenge gender stereo-types by focusing on men and women who are re-defining gender equations.
