Mumbai: On International Women’s Day, Republic Media Network celebrated the women within its family and across the world. As a gesture of appreciation and as a symbol of commitment to women empowerment, the broadcaster takes the pledge to save, seed, and protect our shared future by protecting the environment.
Republic marked a truly ‘Green’ International Women’s Day with the women force, who are proudly at the core of the network, celebrating the special day by taking the pledge together to nurture plants and protect our future.
Commenting on the initiative, Republic Media Network vice president and head – human resources Honey Kaur said, “Women are at the core of Republic Media Network. The women force of this Network are the drivers of the vision that we are all working towards. I am truly blessed and proud to be a part of such an energetic, ambitious, and passionate organisation that is led by powerful women in department after department. The future of our country and Republic will be shouldered by our unstoppable women force.”
“As an organisation that has pledged to always put Nation First, it is only fitting that on the day that we celebrate the strength and unmatched contribution of our women force, we also do our bit to pledge for the betterment of the future of our great country. That is exactly the thought behind a Green International Women’s Day at Republic,” Kaur added.
Indian women are the biggest asset to the country’s workforce and one that leads the charge for India’s future. Making unstoppable strides, Indian women are the backbone of the workforce globally. Their achievements, discipline, work ethic, innovation, resolve, and unmatched performance have made Indian women ultimate examples of strong leadership in sector-after-sector.
With climate change and shrinking green belts, the onus is on us to protect the world we together build. It is with this intent that Republic Media Network will take the pledge this Women’s Day to save, seed, and protect plant life. Flora and fauna form the foundation of the ecosystem of our planet and there is no better day to pledge to protect it than a day marked to celebrate Women, who form the foundation of the ecosystem of our society. It is with this multi-pronged commitment in mind, that Republic Media Network gifted all women employees of the organisation potted plants.
“Advice from a little sapling: Be bold, be brave, never fear growth. Rise, shine, and spread your seeds of happiness as far as you can. To all the ladies of the Republic Media Network, we thank you for your service, and for reminding us that together, women can achieve anything. At Republic Media Network, we are not empowering women, we are empowered by women,” said Republic Media Network group COO Hersh Bhandari.
Mumbai: Streaming platform Planet Marathi has announced to offer women a free year-long subscription to its service on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
The plan can be availed by subscribing to the OTT service on 8 March, said the statement.
“Today, women have established their excellence in all fields,” remarked Planet Marathi OTT founder Akshay Bardapurkar. “Their performance and sincerity towards their duty or work is certainly admirable.” Women at large have carved a niche for themselves in almost all walks of life and to celebrate this we are giving a kind of tribute to women by means of a free yearly subscription and what better day than a Women’s Day.”
Planet Marathi OTT is backed by Vistas Media Capital and launched a year ago offering digital entertainment to Marathi audiences with a variety of exclusive Marathi content. Their content ranges from web series, films, classic library of films, music, concerts, folklores and upcoming genres like karaoke tracks, podcasts and celebrity shows etc. The platform is accessible via app downloadable on Play Store, App Store and through its website.
Mumbai: Network18, in partnership with Truecaller, has launched #ItsNotOk campaign to raise awareness on why it’s important for women to call out harassment issues. The campaign was unveiled on 8 March to mark the occasion of International Women’s Day.
A survey conducted by Truecaller suggests that one in every three women receives sexually inappropriate calls or messages and eight out of ten women receive harassment and nuisance calls in India. While most women block these callers or phone numbers on Truecaller, very few report their harassers to authorities and the rest suffer in silence.
Through the campaign, Network18 and Truecaller are espousing that policy makers, social support systems and media platforms have a collective responsibility to stop women harassment in our country. The key focus of the campaign will be on what women can do at an individual capacity and what our society can do collectively to curtail harassment of women.
The initiative will bring together all stakeholders including state police, NGOs, counsellors, legal help and government representatives to talk about how society can work together for a safer environment, where women feel empowered.
The campaign will see minister of state for women and child development Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai deliver the keynote session. On the other hand National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma and Truecaller co-founder Nami Zarringhalam will be part of Network18’s stream-athon on Facebook and Twitter, where they will share their views on how can women stop harassment.
The campaign will also see engagement from multiple influencers from various fields, including the likes of Jwala Gutta, PV Sindhu, Aditi Rao Hydari and Neeti Palta. While Jwala Gutta will be part of streamathon, tweetathon and Twitter spaces activity on 8 March. PV Sindhu and Aditi Rao Hydari will also be a part of a Insta live session, while Neeti Palta will be part of a tweetathon and engaging on Twitter Spaces. Twitter Spaces will be hosted on News18 India, CNN-News18 & News18 Gujarati handles.
Others including social activist Ranjana Kumar, special commissioner Shalini Singh, DCP KPS Malhotra, Psychiatrist Dr Anjali Chhabria, Yogita Bhayana of PARI foundation, lawyer Aaliya Waziri, Vineet Kumar of Cyber Peace Foundation, UN Women Representative for India Susan Ferguson will also join the discussion to talk about the various aspects of women harassment including trauma, counseling, legal recource, and police initiatives.
“Through this campaign Network18 and Truecaller aim to push for providing a safer digital environment for women,” said Network18 CEO business news cluster Smriti Mehra. “We believe that it is crucial for policy makers, social support systems and media platforms to increase awareness around all aspects of women safety.”
“This International Women’s Day, we want to reiterate that the safety of women is critical and we all need to come together to put an end to harassment in digital communication,” said Truecaller India chief product officer and managing director Rishit Jhunjhunwala. “Every woman has the power to achieve a lot more when empowered to #callitout. The campaign #ItsNotOk was launched in 2017 with the aim to support women and ensure a safe environment. This year, with support of Network 18, we are taking a new path and urging women to come forward to #callItOut and take action against unwanted communication.”
Mumbai: Its that time of the year when brands across categories serenade the fairer sex with the customary promotional offers and endless freebies. And if that isn’t enough, there are campaigns launched with themes raking up every possible ‘women’s issues’ one can think of. Yes, it’s the 8th of March and with yet another International Women’s Day (IWD) upon us, the annual trend of a marketing blitzkrieg continues unabated. The occasion today has become as big as a festival, and one of the prime events in a brand’s marketing calendar.
Brands and marketers using special days to connect with their TG is, of course, as old as advertising lore. And with women comprising nearly 50 per cent of a target consumer group, while also being principal stakeholders when it comes to critical purchases and decision-making in a household, brands, naturally, are keen to serve their cause. Advertising, however, is just one aspect of a brand. True commitment means investment of time, money as well as resources.
So just, how much are brands actually investing on Women’s Day?
“Lifestyle and fashion/apparel brands are one of the biggest spenders, spending in crores leading to the day,” notes Tonic Worldwide national strategy director Anjali Malthankar. “On the other hand, you have high impact influencers, collaborations, contests and giveaways – these activities are spent in lakhs.” So, it’s either a performance campaign to drive sales or an impact campaign to participate with a point of view in the Women’s Day conversation.
“We anticipate the advertising budgets for Women’s Day to be similar to last year and not significantly higher,” say Lyxel&Flamingo co-founder, CEO Dev Batra and creative director – copy Nishant Singh. “As a practice, Women’s Day narratives tend to be longer and thus the majority of the brands will end up advertising only on digital formats only and not that much on television,” add the duo.
This is also a time when brands try to up the engagement quotient by running contests and giveaways. Some even indulge in banter with other brands on social media as a way to garner share of voice or grab attention.
“There has been a shift in thinking by many brands whose core target audience are women,” believes White Rivers Media head of client partnerships Darrell Fernandes. “While most are still trying to communicate offerings, for some brands it’s an opportunity to create an emotional connect with women. It also allows us to deliver a far more engaging message which is not possible otherwise in the product campaigns.”
“What a brand should not do is force fit their business agenda in something that doesn’t land well on the brand philosophy or product,” Fernandes asserts.
This thought is echoed by Jayshree Sundar, the advertising veteran and author of “Don’t forget 2004” – a book on crafting a blockbuster marketing strategy for a political campaign. “The consumer today is able to see through shallow messaging that makes him/her buy something by offering freebies. They know when it’s a gimmick,” she says, adding that, “I think the way for brands to make a significant mark is by using the day to announce something more long-term that you’re doing for women, or how your brand supports women- What’s being done regarding women’s issues or to empower them, to make equality happen- things like that- if brands can dig a little deeper and it’s not a message just for that day.”
Sundar cites examples of brands like Dove and Tanishq which have been doing amazing campaigns around relevant themes for women, not only around Women’s Day but throughout the year. “If such a brand does something on Women’s Day, It will be accepted with open hands because that’s what they have been doing consistently. That’s the key to long-term returns,” she remarks.
While several leading brands have released video content focusing on women-related themes apart from recognising their contribution- while directly or subtly integrating their products in it, a very small percentage of brands practice such focused curated content as a consistent feature.
“The number of women-focused D2C brands who have grown astronomically in the last two years or so, could have taken the lead and become flag bearers of such campaigns but the expected action hasn’t yet taken place with IWD already upon us,” affirm Dev Batra and Nishant Singh. “However, we still witness a lot of brands doing tactical interventions – like a post or rolling out an offer closer to International Women’s Day. Sadly, they continue to simply acknowledge the day without doing much beyond.”
According to Mankind Pharma general manager – sales and marketing Joy Chatterjee, generating campaigns that are relevant in the day-to-day lifestyle of consumers helps the brand to connect and be more relevant to them. “For us, our target audience is not only women but rather every member of the household. We believe in connecting to households while spreading awareness, intense market penetration and a strong social media presence,” he says.
The company has released a Women’s Day campaign for its brand Prega News #SheCanCarryBoth. The campaign video depicts a relatable conversation between four women at different stages of life talking about balancing motherhood and a demanding career. “Our Women’s Day campaign 2022 showcases how society at large assumes that it’s difficult for women to nurture motherhood and be working professionals at the same time.”
He further adds, “Our budget for the entire campaign has been kept minimal, maintaining our focus on the content that was being produced and its amplification.”
The brand has onboarded four celebrity influencers and 15 macro-influencers who are mothers themselves and who share their stories to help the brand reach a wider audience. For better reach and mass society penetration the campaign has been launched in several regional languages.
For many of the women-centric brands, days like women’s day are not targeted towards amplifying their sales but rather in generating brand awareness. “Our actual ROI through the campaign will be more aware and sensitised to the masses. Being category leaders we believe that it’s our responsibility to educate the masses and talk about our consumer’s issues,” says Chatterjee.
With social media being the new normal, most brands also try to maximise use of that space by collaborating with Instagram or YouTube influencers and content creators to touch base with their customers and also create more customer base in the time to come. Marketers believe these campaigns and initiatives undertaken on special occasions helps garner more attention from the prospective audience, resulting in increased sales. “These initiatives help create awareness. Therefore, it is better and more beneficial than an advertisement in the long run,” says The Haelli founder Neha Sahu. “The unique content curated for the customers increases customer engagement and is shared further with family and friends with similar interests, helping us expand our peripherals.”
Fynd, a tech-first omnichannel platform, has crafted a campaign called #LeadLikeHer that aims to shed a spotlight on the leaders behind the brands on the platform. “Through this campaign, we wanted our audience to have a sneak-peek into the stories of the women who create the products that make them look fabulous.” says the Fynd co-founder Farooq. “The impact of a campaign such as #LeadLikeHer is beyond mere ROI and profitability. The power & authenticity of women in leadership roles is something Fynd truly believes in. Through this campaign, our aim is to start a conversation on the disproportionate male to female ratio in leadership roles. And act as a catalyst to push for gender equality and close the gap.”
To mark the occasion of Women’s Day, Candere by Kalyan Jewellers has come out with an inclusive campaign for its latest ‘Aadya’ collection, featuring diverse women, regardless of their age, size or appearance. The film is a shoutout against ageism and body shaming, signifying that every woman should celebrate and embrace themselves. The brand is also taking initiatives to celebrate real women on platforms such as Linkedin. “We are also getting in touch with platforms and are celebrating the women who have dared to keep their heads high and took charge of their own journey reaching for the stars,” says founder and CEO of the jewel-tech brand Rupesh Jain.
The brand believes its ‘Return on Investment’ is through its marketing standpoint. “When the communication of our campaign reaches our TG and when our audience connects with our Vision and Mission.” He adds, “Our brand vision is first to create understanding and relatability for our audience, engage them with our brand, and then create communication with them, which keeps them connected with our brand for the long run.”
So how can brands ensure a deeper connect with their TG on Women’s Day?
“First of all, don’t miss the trees for the woods,” says Tonic Worldwide’s Anjali Malthankar. “If you are a brand celebrating her only for a day to ride on a marketing opportunity and ignoring her issues for the rest of the year, then this can damage a long-term relationship with her. Stay focused and sincere.”
“I think slowly the brand world is opening up to campaigns which raise awareness and solutions about real issues like property ownership rights or breaking the bias in hiring etc and recognition campaigns, celebrating real women heroes- and not limited to doing gimmicky promotions only,” she adds.
Today women have become more conscious and they want brands that think like them. Especially younger millennials and GenZ respond to brands that are more humane, more empathetic and those who take a stand on pressing social issues. While sweepstakes and offers may come and go, and depending on the category, it may even increase sales, but scratching the surface runs the risk of either being forgotten or not noticed at all or worse – being called out.
Campaigns that are curated to start a genuine conversation and not just to jump on the marketing bandwagon give the consumer a deeper understanding of what the brand is and what it stands for. It all boils down to whether the brand can really walk the talk or not, believe the marketers.
Mumbai: HistoryTV18’s digital first series “#RoadTrippinWithRnM” is returning for its seventh season on International Women’s Day on 8 March. The show will be available to watch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
In this new season, Rocky and Mayur will start off with the monuments and street food of Delhi before driving into Rajasthan, exploring its palaces, forts, and rich historical and cultural legacy, and food. The duo will interact with and celebrate inspirational women on the trip and share insights and perspectives on life, career, interests, travel and more, said the channel in a statement.
“Mile upon mile of endless sand as far as the eye can see. Fiery hot foods, Grand palaces and haunted cities…Rajasthan holds many mysteries and has always been a delight to travellers from the world over,” said Rocky. “I look forward to the ultimate road trip because for a traveller, the journey is always more fascinating than the destination.”
Mayur added, “I’m looking forward to the joy of the open road and ‘soaking’ in the magnificent desert landscapes, along with all the unexpected delights that come with a road trip. As always, we’ve packed wisely. We are setting out with large doses of curiosity and sanitizer as we seek to embrace Rajasthan without filters.”
“’RoadTrippinWithRnM’ owes its incredible following and growing popularity to the sheer richness and diversity of the sights, sounds, flavours and experiences that it has showcased around India,” said HistoryTV18 president – content and communication Arun Thapar. “Each season’s journeys, locations, people and places are varied yet bound together by Rocky and Mayur’s friendship, inimitable humour and quirkiness. It’s a show that’s rich in facts, presented with a lot of joy. It celebrates the wonders, great and small, that lie all around if one chooses to see and feel. The series has connected and engaged millions of viewers, winning loyal fans and critical acclaim. And we can’t wait to find out where the next bend in the road leads.”
Mumbai: Ahead of the International Women’s Day, chocolate brand Hershey India has amplified The Hershey Company’s #HerShe campaign to recognise, honour and uplift women through activations in India and around the world all of this month. The brand has collaborated with six women achievers whose accomplishments have been custom illustrated on the Hershey’s chocolate bar packs.
As the first step towards unveiling the campaign, Hershey India has taken the route of a power-packed celebratory rap song by American Indian rapper Raja Kumari and Indian musician Meba Ofilia.
In celebration of the International Women’s Day, and to continue to advance its gender equity commitments, the campaign will be going live across seven international markets, aimed at ‘making the invisible woman visible.’ The award-winning campaign which originated in Brazil in 2020, will be brought alive in India in a ‘never seen before avatar.’ Though this campaign Hershey’s aims to salute these women and their efforts towards choosing and succeeding in unconventional careers.
Hershey India has joined forces ‘Sheroes’ such as Aishwarya Sridhar, Dhvani Kothari, Sandhya Rai, Rukmini Vijayakumar, Pooja Taparia, and Falguni Vasavda Ojha from diverse fields including photography, performing arts, social work, sports, and feminism, and dedicated Hershey’s bars packaging to feature, celebrate and showcase achievements of the Sheroes. To learn more about them, consumers can scan the code on the packs and read about them on the microsite.
Sharing his insights on the renowned global campaign, The Hershey Company VP India and AEMEA Herjit Bhalla said, “Diversity and Inclusion has always been at the crux of the Hershey ecosystem. It has been a key focus area for the organisation across countries, and the #HerShe campaign brings it all together beautifully for us. This campaign gives a voice to what The Hershey Company truly believes in. By elevating the role played by the sheroes around us we want to make the ‘invisible visible’ through this campaign. While we have featured six sheroes on our packs there are countless number of sheroes out there and the ones we come across in our daily lives. Their determination and grit make them truly extraordinary, and Hershey’s appreciates that.”
“As a build up to the International Women’s Day, we have taken a unique voice of celebrating and highlighting Her & She, through the #HerShe campaign. The campaign strives to celebrate inspiring stories of Sheroes in our society, who have displayed excellence by either taking the path less travelled or by simply creating a positive impact on people around them. Our idea is to bring alive galvanising stories by making the ‘invisible visible,’” added Hershey India managing director Geetika Mehta.
This year the brand is leveraging technology to create an online community for curating and showcasing inspiring stories by women and connecting to offline channels via QR code on the packaging. Consumers can scan the QR Code printed on the packaging of Hershey’s Bar that will link them to the microsite https://www.hershe.co.in/ The microsite has curated templates, with personalised messaging, that consumers can use to celebrate and share the stories of Sheroes who have inspired them.
Hershey India marketing director Ankit Desai stated, “We have envisioned the ‘Her-She’ campaign with an intention to not only celebrate women leaders and achievers but also Sheroes all around us, be it family members, friends, mentors or colleagues. The initiative, which deserves to go to maximum people, leverages an integrated experiential approach, spanning packaging take-over of the entire Hershey’s Bar portfolio, personalised and interactive tech-based micro site, AR filters, first of its kind celebratory rap song and influencer outreach to drive education, engagement and thus celebration.”
“As a company that embraces diversity and equality, we saw a unique insight into how we can make visible the role of forgotten or somewhat invisible women who make such an important difference in our society,” said Hershey International CMO Santhi Ramesh. “These campaigns celebrate women while communicating our brand values and the values we share with our consumers. The user generated content is real and authentic, and as a result is able to break through and resonate strongly with consumers.”
Further to this, the campaign will culminate with a mentorship session conducted with the six sheroes which will be further amplified by Girl Up.
MUMBAI: Pivoting towards strengthening the brand reach, Garmin India, a has signed television presenter and fitness coach Mandira Bedi as its brand ambassador.
The popular face of many TV shows, host of cricket matches and now an icon of fitness, Bedi will promote Garmin smartwatches and accessories in India across the mediums of print, television, online as well as creating buzz on all social media platforms.
Garmin India director Ali Rizvi said, “Mandira Bedi is not only a star icon but also an inspiration to many fitness enthusiasts and women globally. We are thrilled to have her on board with us and are confident that this partnership will strengthen our brand reach and encourage more people to choose a healthier lifestyle.”
Recently, on the occasion of International Women’s day, Garmin India launched an incredibly small, smart and modern smartwatch – ‘Lily’ with features designed by women, for women. The smartwatch offers women’s health features, including menstrual cycle tracking and newly launched pregnancy tracking feature sharing the mother-to-be a snapshot of their pregnancy alongside their other health, wellness and activity data.
“Working out and staying fit is not only a passion but a choice of lifestyle,” remarked Bedi. “It’s an honour for me to be associated with Garmin- a brand that especially designs and manufactures its products to help fitness enthusiasts by providing the correct guidance and accurate data of their workouts. With their range of smartwatches, together we aim to reach out to more and more people to spread awareness on the need of a healthier lifestyle.”
Garmin offers smart wearables across price points with dedicated devices for golf, running, swimming and cycling activities amongst a range of other products. Currently, more than 13 models including the recently launched ‘Lily’ and many more products are available through its online and offline channels pan India.
NEW DELHI: In a world that is increasing being polarised with ideologies, caste, creed, class and gender radicalisation, while also expanding on progressive ideas of gender inclusivity, no-gender binary identities and enhancing gender equity in corporate and social settings, we sure live in a dynamic world, where the term International Women's day, has renewed meaning. And even as we work towards rebuilding a resilient workforce and stronger economics in the new normal, the changing face of women empowerment, is a brave testimonial to their ever increasing role in the modern world. And aptly so, the theme for this year’s women’s day, as set by the UN, is focusing on ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid2019 world’.
Indeed, women and girls worldwide have donned the cape and took on pioneering roles to help the world cope with the crisis. From frontline workers, care givers, nurturers and home makers to new age media influencers, social entrepreneurs, environmental activists, business and wealth consultants to even women in politics, have all made their presence felt and voice heard, as organisations and leaders around the world, turn to their diversified workforces to gain insightful solutions and ideas to tackle the challenges thrown at us by the global pandemic.
Indeed the Pride and Prejudice universe of Jane Austen has long passed, and the modern woman today wants much more than to marry and elevate her social status.
The 21st-century woman is smart, efficient, and ambitious, looking to conquer the world, with her strength, belief and resilience. She seeks her meaning and value not just by playing the stereotypical roles, rather by breaking free from them.
Modern brand campaigns and advertisements around women: A reflection of changing times
A great way to chart the changing perspective around Women's Day and women's role at large is through the branded advertisement campaigns. Ads are a true reflection of the common beliefs and aspirations of a society, and are often created to appeal to the imagination of the larger section of the population.
Looking back to just a few decades ago, the Women's Day celebrations in India were more meek and stereotypical. The number of ads launched around the day could be counted on your fingertips. Even then, they were limited to a few women's brands doing a lazy, stereotypical campaign, almost as if out of obligation.
Popular narratives showcased the meek housewife focusing on managing the responsibilities of managing a house, raising children and nurturing the seniors, with a never complaining, perpetual smile! The entire movement, concentrated around the 8th of March, was just a reminder for the rest of the society to appreciate the modern super woman!
Brand campaigns through ‘80s and ‘90s:
Let's take a look at old campaigns of the popular Nirma washing Powder. It was always the first choice of Hema, Rekha, Jaya and Sushma, who were busy with household chores like washing clothes. An old Tata Salt campaign shows a woman trying to make pizza for her family at her conservative home. For Santoor in the 80s, the beauty soap user was a docile, homebody housewife.
In each case, the family seems to be a priority for the woman.
Products like cooking salt, washing powder were always considered a woman's product, which is a controversial debate in itself.
In stark contrast stands the carefree, bubbly "new woman" showcased by Liril in the 90s, who is not afraid to bathe, sing and dance openly under a waterfall. We all saw a stunning Sonali Bendre for Nirma Soap in the 90s travelling the world alone.
However, she is still accompanied by a male chaperon – although unconventional, and therefore not completely alone. So dependency on men, respecting boundaries, and abiding to the celebrated feminine notions of innocence and beauty, continued to be the common themes throughout the 90s.
What has changed?
With the dawn of the new century, Women's Day has managed to create a greater social-cultural-economical relevance, as women found their places and voices in corporate and social leadership. Post 2010, we have seen a lot of growth in women's portrayal in mainstream media, which was not limited to stereotypical campaigns or around Women’s Day or Mother’s Day, with brands adopting stronger and impactful narratives that are also stories of empowerment and change.
The new women of the Ads Now:
Needless to say, almost all major brands today launch a well-thought campaign centered around Women's Day. In fact, many brands do not limit their celebration to a single day alone. Ad campaigns focused on women keep coming up all year round. Some of the noteworthy ones:
The 21st-century woman of Santoor is a beauty with brains and a mother, conquering her workspace proudly. Nirma's iconic four women have now stepped up to push an ambulance out of the mud when nobody would volunteer for the difficult, physically arduous task.
Titan Raga appealed to make a positive change in how we look at a woman's success. Prega News has time and again highlighted myriad women's issues like postpartum depression and, in 2021, infertility, which has attempted to change the narrative around the very defining aspect that ‘completes’ a woman – motherhood!
Usha has also spoken up for women's equality in households on Women's Day campaigns. Parachute Body lotion is building narratives around women's freedom of choice around clothing, and appreciating herself and other women.
Body positive brands such as "All"- the plus-size apparel store by Future Lifestyle has launched campaigns that encourage women to be unapologetically sassy and confident, irrespective of their size.
Lotte Choco Pie's "Pause to Celebrate" also initiates serious conversations around the area of women's need to pause, rest and relax.
The most recently, the Dove Ad campaign questions the age-old understanding of "beauty standards" through the lens of a stereotypical arranged marriage setting where women continue to be questioned/ scrutinized and criticized for some of the basic aspects of their natural appearance, thereby suffer being objectified.
A future of equality
Log into the most popular search engine today- Google, and you are going to be welcomed with a campaign again- "The First Of Many: Women's History Month, 2021."
Indeed Women's Day campaigns have evolved to sometimes reflect and at other times, drive the change, towards a progressive, more positive society. Today the “she” is no more vilified for having ambitions or dressing or speaking in a certain way.
Today, the “she” defies gender norms, breaking boundaries and winning in fields traditionally dominated by men. Women's issues like the pay gap, gender bias at workplace, presence in leadership roles and at board meetings, lack of menstrual leave, etc, continue to drive the progressive movement towards gender equality, along with gender neutral and inclusive work policies, and shattering away gender binary stereotypes. From ignorance to glorification to finally an acknowledgement- indeed, women's day campaigns have come a long way!
(The author is co-founder, Scenic Communication. The views expressed are her own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)
Mumbai, 8 March 2021: ShowBox, a youth-centric music channel from the IN10 Media Network, has launched an original song, Swag Wali Naari, to pay tribute to the never-ending resilience of women, on International Women’s Day.
The song showcases how today’s naari dons numerous hats. She can be a Durga or a Kali as she juggles various roles – from being a mother, a daughter, a wife, or a friend/colleague or a boss – in her daily life. Through this song, the channel wants to celebrate womanhood and pay an ode to its numerous avatars.
IN10 Media Network corporate strategy and development VP Mansi Darbar said, “At In10 Media Network, we constantly thrive to create content that celebrates the spirit of life. Through Swag Wali Naari, we want to salute women and the infinite naari shakti. Women need to acknowledge their achievements, inspire younger generations as well as encourage equality every day!”
The pop song, sung by BIG Golden Voice (season three) finalist Anurag Mohn and rapper & composer Sumit, features famous faces from various fields like Commonwealth Karate Gold medalist Sandhya Shetty, singer Shibani Kashyap, Marathi film actress Smita Gondkar, former supermodel Diandra Soares among others.
The song is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Saavn, Hungama Music, Gaana, and YouTube Music.
NEW DELHI: This International Women’s Day, ShortsTV celebrates women who strive to make the world a better place to live in. Available on platforms such as Tata Sky, Dish TV, d2h, Airtel DTH, and Airtel Xstream, ShortsTV has a line-up of movies that embraces female empowerment. The Women’s Day catalogue includes renowned Indian short films and five documentary short films from women directors about the perseverance and passion of women entrepreneurs that are commissioned by Mastercard.
DEVI, directed by Priyanka Banarjee
A tale of sisterhood. A tale of suffering. A tale of truth. A 13-minutes film, Devi is a closed-room drama about disparate group of women sitting in a room together. The film sheds light on how victims of sexual violence, despite being so different from each other, ended up sharing the same fate.
CUDDLY, directed by Karan B Shetty
The film is a simple day-to-day conversation between a mother and a daughter against a quiet night. The treatment gives birth to some moments that are relatable (especially the fight between the mother and the daughter about food).
KHANE ME KYA HAI, directed by Akanksha Seda
A story about a mother-daughter duo discussing their sex lives. What makes it interesting is the fact that they talk about it without even using the term ‘sex’. Nor do they cross their so-called line of morality. Their dialogues are loaded with food puns. The way they spice up their simple conversation makes this film a delightful treat.
HARFA, directed by Elle Mische
Learning is a lifelong pursuit, often brimming with a wealth of books and experts on every topic imaginable. But when Irena Orlovic went searching for ways to help teach her young daughter with a developmental disability, she discovered only empty bookshelves in her native language. What began as an educational journey of her own led her to start Harfa, a publishing house founded with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to help teach an entire country.
JUSTICE OF THE PIES, directed by Michelle Marrion
Basil key lime, blue cheese praline pear, lavender lemon—mouth-watering pies by chef Maya-Camille Broussard delight all five senses. Created to honour her father’s legacy as a Chicago criminal defence attorney who could never say no to a good pastry, Justice of the Pies serves not only the most inventive pies in town but also the city’s future talent, by teaching skills like nutrition and budgeting to kids from underserved communities while they bake their first delicious pie.
ONGANIC FOODS, directed by Lisa Madison
After starting her own garden, journalist Ekta Jaju uncovered that modern farming practices were causing profound health effects on small farmers in her district. Ekta began educating hundreds of farmers about the dangers of pesticides and showing them a better way through organic farming. Her mission quickly blossomed into a thriving business based on sustainable agriculture.
SARAH’S BAG, directed by Nadia Naffa
Sarah’s Bag follows the story of solicitous entrepreneur Sarah Beydoun. Sarah found local resources and damaged materials to make handbags, while using employment to give the women their dignity back and a means to support their families. Sarah’s Bag takes you inside the lives of those given a second chance.
TALENTO INCLUIR, directed by Renata Sette:
In a split second, life changed for Carolina Ignarra. Following a harrowing accident, she would need to traverse the crowded streets of São Paulo, Brazil, in a wheelchair forever. Driven to educate managers on the meaning and value of inclusivity, Carolina started Talento Incluir to help promote new pathways for employers to value, hire and redefine what it means to be top talent.
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