NEW DELHI: Actor Farhan Akhtar, who is UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador, has come on the Doordarshan seriesMain Kuchh Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon as the narrator to help address regressive practices such as sex selection, early marriage, early and repeated pregnancies, under-nutrition of girls, domestic violence and gender inequality prevalent in the country.
The programme was conceptualised and initiated by the Population Foundation of India and is telecast every Saturday and Sunday at 7.30 pm on DD National.
Starring actress Meinal Vaisnav in the lead role of Dr Sneha Mathur, the series has been written and directed by renowned theatre and film director Feroz Abbas Khan and is currently into its second season.
Using a 360 degree communication approach, it has reached out to intended audiences through television, radio, mobile, social media and an intensive outreach strategy for Bihar and Madhya Pradesh to enhance knowledge, change perceptions and shift attitudes on these social issues, over the last two years.
The initiative has innovatively used the digital medium to educate communities and initiate discussions. It has already been endorsed by numerous celebrities, eminent policymakers and corporate leaders.
Every Media Technologies is helping the Population Foundation of India with the social media campaigns for this initiative.
Every Media Technologies CEO Gautam B. Thakker said, “The show is a pioneer in TV edutainment and our aim is to impact minds and bring about behavioural change. With fresh and creative campaign ideas, we have cut through the numerous conversations that happen online. It has been a great experience to be associated with a show like this and we thank PFI for the opportunity.”
Foundation executive director Poonam Muttreja added, “The show aims to highlight and educate the audience about various dilemmas that women face on regular basis. The digital space today is the most effective way to educate and garner support for the causes the show highlights. The social media team has brilliantly translated the strong messages of the show for the online space, and the social media campaigns have managed to achieve the right effect.”
Focussed on enhancing knowledge, changing perceptions and attitudes on women’s empowerment and the social determinants of maternal, reproductive and sexual health, Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon has been able to bring about a measurable impact on knowledge and perception of viewers on issues like age at marriage, importance of family planning, sex determination and domestic violence, among others.
The most popular social media campaign was about age at marriage, which showcased a series of impactful posters in a bid to sensitise the audience, and reached 1,42,000 users on Twitter. Another campaign (#IPledgeNow) urging people to commit to fight evils like drug abuse, sexual harassment and domestic violence among others, attracted 7,100 Facebook users.
Among the ongoing social media campaigns by the initiative (in partnership with MARD) is the campaign called Desh ko badalna hai toh mard ko badalna hoga (#AsliMard), which urges men to create a woman-friendly world.
