E-newsletter Nov-Dec 2009

_{A communications initiative for a balanced, planned and stable population}

PF organises Laadli Youth Fest 2009 Awards

The Laadli Youth Fest Awards were held at the Jai Hind College Auditorium in Churchgate, Mumbai on November 16, 2009. They brought to a close our intense interaction with colleges over six months to announce and organise the event. Dr. Chandra Krishnamurthy, Vice-Chancellor of both, the University of Mumbai and SNDT University, was the Chief Guest. Senior VP, Global Banking and Markets, HSBC India was present as a special guest. HSBC is supporting Laadli's youth component, Madhyam- Youth for Change.

The Youth Fest aims to get college students think creatively on the issues surrounding discrimination against the girl child. It is inextricably linked to our interventions with the youth to challenge the deeply ingrained bias and question accepted norms of society that ultimately lead to female foeticide. As future parents and changemakers in society, this becomes a very important focus area under our Laadli campaign.

The theme for the inter-collegiate competitions on essay, short story and slogan writing, poster making, short filmmaking, radio jingle, promotional material and photography was ‘Breaking Gender Stereotypes’. Each of the participating colleges selected the best entries from within the college and submitted them to us for evaluation at the inter-collegiate level. Over 200 entries were received and adjudged by a panel comprising NGO and communication professionals.

“While it was heartening to note the enthusiasm of the students to participate in the various competitions, it was disappointing that the material submitted by the students was very clichéd and stereotypical. This points to the need to have more interventions in colleges on gender as well as communication skills. Teachers have to get involved more proactively in creating a better understanding of gender among the students by using the opportunities provided by Laadli through the Youth Fest.”

- Dr. A.L.Sharada, Programme Director, Population First

The awards ceremony was hosted by Jai Hind College’s Women’s Development Cell (WDC). Ms. Divya Dayal,a corporate banker and steady supporter of Laadli was the

We are happy to report that we have produced a new Laadli bookmark adapting the concept and design sent in by Ankita Shah of B.D. Somani Institute of Arts and Fashion Technology as an entry in the Promotional Material category. Her efforts have been duly acknowledged on the bookmark.

In keeping with the theme of the Youth Fest, we invited a woman bus conductor, a Western Railways motorwoman and male nurse to the function and share their experiences with the students. They interacted with the students narrating how they chose these professions, defying gender barriers and preconceived notions about what work men and women "should" do. Their talk was very inspiring and many students felt encouraged.

The team from Guru Nanak College, the second prize winner in the street play competition, performed their play, which raised some pertinent questions about gender roles in society and in our homes. Tanaya Bhat and a Jai Hind College group performed dances on the subject.

In her address to the youth, Dr. Krishnamurthy expressed her dream that there should come a time when there is no need for a campaign like Laadli. She acknowledged Population First for its innovative and creative approach to working with the youth.

HT, TOI, Rajasthan Patrika, DD, AIR win Laadli award again!

Population First announces Western and Southern Region UNFPA-Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2009-10

The awards ceremony for the Western region was held at the Tata Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai on December 9, 2009, with UNFPA’s Assistant Country Representative, Ena Singh as our Special Guest. The jury selected the winners from a number of entries received from across western India, comprising Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa. The programme was attended by several leading personalities from the NGO, media and entertainment sectors.

The winners were felicitated by eminent media personalities who were on the jury like Kalpana Sharma, Nandini Sardesai, Pradeep Guha, Bacchi Karkaria, Ramesh Narayan and others like Vivek Oberoi, Suneeta Rao, Rael Padamsee, Justice B.N.Srikirishna and Kiran Shantaram. Veteran journalist and champion of women’s rights, Vidya Bal was felicitated with the Laadli Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to her by Ena Singh.

Veteran Marathi journalist and women's rights champion was felicitated for her contributions.	Kavita Seth enthralled the audience and dedicated a poem to the girl child.

The evening was flavoured with a performance by Sufi singer Kavita Seth, who enthralled the audience with poetry and songs on the girl child. Actor and model Parvin Dabbas anchored the event as a gesture of support to Laadli.

South media felicitated as well

The Southern region awards have also

been declared at a ceremony held in Hyderbad’s prestigious Ravindra Bharati Hall on December 17, 2009. In the process of calling for entries, screening of entries, selection of winners, and campaign for rights of girl child a large section of public personalities, government officials, NGOs, writers, journalists, writers in Andhra Pradesh was involved. Population First (PF) collaborated with Bhumika Women’s Collective, an organization working with aim of helping women in distress. It also publishes a feminist magazine, Bhumika.

For both, the Western and Southern awards, several press conferences were held in Thane, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi to announce the awards and call for entries. We also tied up with Mid-Day and Rajasthan Patrika in the West to carry print ads calling for entries. E-mailers, entry forms and posters were sent to the senior personnel and editors of media houses and to a large database comprising media professionals. Clea PR was roped in as a Public Relations Partner to provide the much-needed media push. In each region, we received over 200 entries and only the eligible ones were sent to the jury.

The south jury comprised eminent several personalities: Smt. Abburi Chayadevi, Dr. V. S Ramadevi  M.A.L.L.M, Dr. Silalolitha, Parimala Kalaga, R. Santha Sundari, S. Rajeswara Sharma, G. Sridhar, Dr. R. Uma Maheswari, Dr. Sunita Krishnan, C.G. Chandra Mohan, Dr. Venkateswara Rao, Dr. G.S. Radha Krishna, Hashmi Shabuddin, Amir Ali Khan, Gita Ramaswamy and K. Suneetha Rani.
At the awards, some of the dignitaries present included Justice Subhashan Reddy of SHRC, Justice Rohini of High Court, Anuradha, IAS from Women and Child Development, Mr. Umapathi, IPS of CID Police, Jelani Bhano, a well known writer, Sharada Srinivasan of AIR and Mr. Diwakar Mohan from The Indian Express.  Dr. Sharada and Dolly Thakore, the National Coordinator of the Awards were present as well.
The event opened with a curtain raiser song by Madhupriya on discrimination against girl child where the girl pledges to come up in life and prove the public wrong. All her songs are on the plight of girl children and women.

The cultural programme included a violin orchestra by the Aarabi Centre of Performing Arts and dances by girl children from Rainbow Home for Girl Children. Jhansi, a well-known film actress and anchor conducted the programme. The event was live telecasted by C television and the media covered programme very well.

East and North to follow suit

The Call for Entries process is currently on in the Eastern and Northern regions. The awards ceremony will be held in February 2010. 

Music in support of our Laadlis

Singer Geetu Hinduja espoused the cause of the girl child by speaking on the issue of sex selection. She wove in messages to save the girl child and stop gender discrimination and revealed shocking statistics on Mumbai’s sex ratio during her one-hour performance as part of the Bandra Fest on November 27, 2009.

It is proactive efforts like these that go a long way in mainstreaming this issue into society.

Population First has been advocating that sex selection is not a private issue- it needs to come into the public domain and what better way than the art route? 

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