A change summit called Voice of Change: Gender Portrayal from 30 Seconds to 3 Hours was held by the International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter as a trailblazing initiative. During the summit, a day of discussions, debates, and research findings brought the crucial conversation on gender parity, as seen in media, to light.
The Geena Davis Institute conducted a study on gender representation in advertising for IAA last year as part of a collaboration with UNICEF. The industry group decided to start a conversation that would encourage gender awareness among those in charge of content production and marketing in India after taking their cue from the study’s facts.
Viacom18’s Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network Head Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Chairperson of the IAA Women Empowerment Committee, opened the event by stating that “Voice of Change harkens the need of a more sensitized and inclusive narrative in content and all the creative minds present are the powerhouses behind creating and marketing that content now and in the years to come.”
The IAA has taken the initiative to make all of this knowledge more accessible to the public, and through this summit, it now assumes the crucial duty of empowering effective change in addition to educating and informing the public. Honorable Chief Guest Smt. Poonam Mahajan, MP North Central Mumbai, gave a captivating speech to kick off the educational day. She spoke to the entire audience about her journey, breaking preconceptions in a very natural way at each stop along the way to where she is today. She has demonstrated her mettle by taking on obstacles head-on while working as a pilot and a member of parliament.
Following her inspiring words, renowned academician Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of the Centre for Social Research, gave the keynote address. Mr. Arjan De Wagt, Officer in Charge of Deputy Representative Programs for UNICEF India, then gave a special address. In it, he stated that gender equity is a crucial agenda and the cornerstone of all the work that UNICEF does around the world.
The value of females must rise throughout a girl’s life for communities to prosper.
The highlight of the afternoon was a fireside chat with Unicef Celebrity Advocate and top-tier actor Vidya Balan, who said, “We know that advertising and all forms of media have immense potential to promote women’s and girls’ empowerment, but they also have the potential to harbour harmful stereotypes through unrealistic portrayals of girls and women.”
Creative genres can occasionally increase the prevalence of gender discrimination both inside and outside of the home and reinforce traditional gender roles. As a well-known spokesperson for UNICEF, Vidya Balan makes an effort to promote gender equality, which raises the expectations of girls and women and works to change people’s perspectives.
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