Laadli Media Awards 2021 announced: Gaon Connection’s report on women’s empowerment wins 3 awards – Gaonconnection
Today, November 19, Population First, a social impact organization that works for women’s empowerment and gender equality, announced the Laadli Media and Advertising Award (regional) for gender sensitivity 2021. Four – twenty-eighteen laureates in 10 languages were awarded. Gaon connection won three awards for his news articles in the categories of web reporting and investigative articles.
Two reports reported by the former senior reporter of Gaon connection Neetu Singh was awarded in the Web Feature and Investigative categories respectively. Also, a report from Purnima Sah, who works independently with Gaon connection, won the award in the Web Features category.
Singh won first prize in the Web Functionality category for her feature story on a mother who repairs flat tires on vehicles for a living.
This multimedia story is part of a series called “Mothers of India” on the occupations carried out by mothers to support themselves and bring up their children. Gaon connection introduced some of the mothers who work beyond the conventions of society and the threshold of domesticity to support their families.
Also read: “I couldn’t stand to see my kids cry, so I started fixing the punctures”
Singh received second prize in the investigative reporting category. The multimedia report highlighted how Dalit women in rural Uttar Pradesh still handle human faeces for wheat, roast (flat bread) and pickles.
A provision of Rs 12,300 crore has been made for “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” in the general budget for 2020-21 and an average of Rs 10,000 crore is spent each year to build toilets. But, manual cleaning is a plague that continues to plague Jalaun District in the state.
For this dangerous work which violates human dignity, the women are usually given a few rotis, salt or pickles. Rarely, these households could transmit leftovers sabzi. In recent years, women have been content with 8 to 10 paseri (about 2.5 kilograms) of wheat per year, instead of this difficult work which erodes human dignity.
Also Read: Confront Dignity: Dalit Women Still Carry Human Feces Of Wheat, Roti And Pickles To UP
Sah won the award in the Web Features category for her topical article on the dysfunction of the West Bengal 24/7 Toll Free Hotline for Women’s Safety.
The report shows that the 24/7 helpline is dysfunctional, while its landline helpline only operates five days a week during office hours. History has also highlighted how understaffed and cash-strapped Assam’s helpline is.
Also read: Women’s Safety: A Free Hotline for Women in West Bengal; Assam helpline lacks sufficient funds
The Laadli Media and Advertising Awards are supported by the United Nations Population Fund.
You can watch the awards ceremony here
