All India Radio (AIR) Bhopal, in collaboration with UNICEF, organized a story-sharing event in Bhopal, providing a platform to highlight stories of change, women making a difference, and young men working towards gender equality.
The event featured inspiring stories of individuals who overcame challenges and broke societal barriers. Notable participants included Rani Bhargav, a sarpanch advocating for gender equality and Bal Panchayat; Gauranshi Sharma, a badminton player and UNICEF India Youth Advocate who won a mixed doubles medal at the Deaflympics; Yogita Raghuvanshi, India's first female truck driver; and Dr. Sakshi Bharadwaj, an urban forestry expert leading climate action in Bhopal. Other speakers included mental health counselor Pallavi Sharma, entrepreneur and organic farmer Dr. Pratibha Tiwari, cancer survivor and advocate Preeti Uikey, and gender champion Adarsh Pasi.
Radio professionals from AIR Bhopal, Radio LakeCity Voice, and Radio Azad Hind, along with social media influencers, attended the event to amplify these stories. The inspiring narratives will be recorded by AIR and broadcast on radio and social media platforms to mark International Women’s Day under the theme ‘For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment’.
Speaking at the event, Rajesh Bhatt, Programme Director at AIR Bhopal, emphasized the role of radio, particularly AIR, in encouraging women's participation and empowerment. “We have provided a platform for these stories across our programs, and we will continue to do so,” he said.
Anil Gulati, Officer-in-Charge of UNICEF Madhya Pradesh, expressed gratitude to AIR for its collaboration, stating, “Your stories of change will inspire others to take positive action towards gender equality and empowerment.”
Dr. Prashanth Kumar, Health Specialist at UNICEF, highlighted the importance of adolescent mental health, while Pooja Singh, Social Specialist, spoke on the progress made toward gender equality and the road ahead. Yeshwant H. Chivande, Head of AIR Bhopal Cluster, also addressed the gathering on the importance of women’s empowerment.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Anamika Chakravarthy, Programme Executive at AIR Bhopal. The program was anchored by Shivangi Singh, Anoop Kumar, Abhishek Sharma, and Moulshree Saxena.
Dr Rachana Dubey, Director IEC health joined the programme and shared that on March 8, National Health Mission, Government of Madhya Pradesh, is organising a Walkathon called Shakti to spread awareness on the comprehensive health of women and upcoming state of art centre at Katju Hospital.