47 GENDER-SENSITIVITY AWARDEES FROM SIX SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES & INDIA AT SOUTH ASIA LAADLI MEDIA & ADVERTISING AWARDS FOR GENDER SENSITIVITY 2023

Mumbai(10/12/2023): The South Asia edition of the Laadli Media & Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2023 will recognise 47 stellar contributions in the media space across the six South Asian nations and India.

The South Asia Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity (SALMAAGS) celebrate the media’s role in shaping perceptions towards gender, aiming for a fairer society.

Apart from India, the third edition of the award covers Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Maldives.

These awards are an initiative of Population First, a Mumbai-based social impact organisation that has been working for the past two decades to promote gender sensitivity in media nationwide.

Following a successful collaboration over the past several years, the initiative is once again being supported by UNFPA.

Our collaborating partners for this year are Asian Federation of Advertising Associations and South Asian Women in Media.

“These awards aim to recognise and celebrate 15 exceptional media professionals nationwide and honour 11 outstanding journalists from South Asia from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Maldives,” said CEO Population First Dr A L Sharada who added, “These awards are also a way of acknowledging the significant contribution of content creators across literature, advertising, films, and OTT platforms.” SALMAAGS will also spotlight exceptional women who have made significant strides in their respective fields.

Special awards like ‘Laadli of the Century,’ ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ and ‘Women Behind the Scene’ will be presented to Vimla Patil, Aruna Raje Patil and Konkana Sen Sharma among others, to honour their outstanding contributions.

This year’s awardees include Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) - the forum for women in the media profession to share information and resources, exchange ideas, promote media awareness and ethics, and work for gender equality and justice; Women in Cinema Collective who are fighting for a more equitable and considerate workspace for female artists, the mini series Sweet Kaaram Coffee and the feature film Sirf Ek Band Kaafi Hai. Well-known actor Rasika Dugal will chair the evening.

She will be accompanied by the Country Representative for UNFPA India and Country Director for Bhutan Andrea Wojnar as the guest of honour.

“Media plays a critical role in addressing discriminatory social norms, shaping popular perceptions on gender roles and identities, and challenging stereotypes,” said Wojnar.

“UNFPA India is proud to partner with Population First for engaging diverse media to create an environment where women and girls are respected and valued,” she further remarked. The event will begin with a performance by underprivileged children from the Sanskrita Foundation, while B Spot Productions’ scintillating Lavani performance will make for an added attraction.