Bhubaneswar: Odia Columnist and social activist Mr. Rudra Prasanna Rath has bagged prestigious National Laadli Media award for the year 2020. The award has been conferred upon Mr. Rath in an online event organized through social media platform on 15th of December 2020. Mr Rath has won the regional laadli media award for the year 2020 earlier in the month of November, when his op-ed Jhia Jadi Kali published in the Dharitri in the year 2019 was selected for the coveted award.
Mr. Rudra Prasanna Rath belongs to Jajpur Road and has been active in media since last one decade and has been writing on gender, youth, women and other social issues in various leading newspapers of the state. He has also been seen in regional television channels where he continues to analysise sports and other sports related events. Earlier, he has also won youth inspiration awards given by various organizations at state level.
National Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2020 popularly known as Laadli media award is instituted by Population First and supported by United Nations Population Fund. The award completed a decade this year. Mr. Ravish Kumar Senior Executive Editor of NDTV, Ms. Argentina Matavel Piccin, Country Representative India UNFPA & Dr A L Sharada, Director, Population First graced this award giving ceremony.
Argentina Matavel Piccin, Country Representative India UNFPA said, “UNFPA recognizes the critical role of the media in shaping perceptions around value of women and girls. Policies and services impact women and men differently whether in health, education, the workplace, disasters, pandemics or other areas. I am glad our award winners have written a range of stories and analysed them using a gender lens. I hope they keep revisiting conversations around gender and raise the bar on reporting from a gender perspective.”
Dr A L Sharada, Director, Population First said, “The award winners have examined multiple social issues through a gender lens and created narratives that are rarely found in media and advertising. They have analysed the intersectionality of caste, class, and gender, destigmatized the woman’s body, analysed the equal vulnerability of men to patriarchal values, and created compelling stories that gave hope and uplifted our spirits. The winners and all those who submitted their entries show that inclusive and sensitive journalism and communication is alive and continuing to thrive.”
Ravish Kumar, Senior executive editor, NDTV India said, “Laadlonkiduniyamein koi puraskarkhudkolaadlikehetaho, ye kitniachchhibaathai! There is grit in this title. And it is inclusive, because male journalists have also won it.” He advised the journalists not to lose hope, and keep writing/talking till there is a single reader/viewer left. “Many journalists should keep talking, taking risk, keep writing. These would be the bricks of the foundation on which a new media will be formed, so keep up your spirits,” he added. He admitted that the newsrooms were proof of patriarchy, the language and the body language of both male and female journalists was patriarchal. We need to get inside an operation theatre to pull out this bug of patriarchy from within us. It is an ongoing process and we should keep at it.”
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