The National Commission for Women held a workshop titled "Capacity Building and Sensitization Program for Media Personnel" to draw attention to women's issues and the representation of women in the media.
The media is critical in raising awareness about gender-based issues and in establishing a narrative for ethical coverage of gender-sensitive news.
Samir Kumar, Head, Prasar Bharti News Services & Digital Platform, Aditya Raj Kaul, Executive Editor, TV9 Network, Kavita Devi, Founder Khabar Lahariya, Nisha Narayanan, CEO & Director Red FM & Magic FM, and Vartika Nanda, Head, Department of Journalism, Lady Shri Ram College participated as Speakers/Resource Persons to discuss these important topics.
The panellists discussed their diverse backgrounds in journalism and the portrayal of women in the media. During the open house conversation, media experts from several organisations shared their perspectives.
PBNS Head Samir Kumar spoke on the occasion about all the ways women may empower themselves to overcome societal preconceptions and prejudices. During a session on 'Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media in Media Operations and Content,' the PBNS Head remarked, "Entrepreneurship is the key, Skillset, not gender, should be the genuine marker of an individual."
During the same event, the Executive Editor of TV9 Network asked, "how far we have come when we talk about media handling gender-sensitive issues." Kaul discussed his experiences in the media and the changes he has noticed in the way such problems are covered.
'Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media in Media Operations and Content,' 'Challenges Faced By Women Media Professionals,' and 'Role of Media in Women's Empowerment' were the three technical sessions of the workshop.
Special Guest Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of INDIA TV, praised women in the media and remarked that, despite society's unfavourable attitudes, women in India have achieved great heights, not only in journalism but in every field. He also stated that society's thinking must be changed, and that the media has played an important role in this regard.
Speaker Nisha Narayanan discussed the problems that women in the media experience in their careers, ranging from ground reporting to job chances. Kavita Devi described her experience founding Khabar Lehariya, a 'all-women' media publication that tells the tales of rural women.
Vartika Nanda, a journalism professor, spoke extensively about the importance of teaching media employees from the ground up in order to produce a generation of knowledgeable professionals who can handle gender-sensitive problems sensibly and delicately.
The workshop aimed to persuade media stakeholders to devote more platforms to addressing women's concerns and stories of women's strength and leadership, as well as to present programmes teaching the public about women's rights and accessible remedy in the event that those rights are abused.
