ITV

Tag: Women’s Day

  • Amazon Prime Video and MAMI launch ‘Maitri: Female First Collective’

    Amazon Prime Video and MAMI launch ‘Maitri: Female First Collective’

    Mumbai: Amazon Prime Video has partnered with Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI) to launch ‘Maitri: Female First Collective.’

    The aim of the initiative is to build a community for women in media and entertainment where they can come together on a quarterly basis to discuss their experiences, challenges and successes and offer their perspective and advice on how to bring about a positive shift, said the statement.

    The highlights of the sessions will be available on Amazon Prime Video India’s YouTube channel and MAMI’s YouTube channel and their respective social media platforms.

    The first episode featuring 16 women who participated in the debut session went live on Friday. These women include Junglee Pictures and Times Studios Originals CEO Amrita Pandey; screenwriter and hairstylist Ayesha DeVitre Dhillon; screenwriter and author Bhavani Iyer; filmmaker Gayathri; filmmaker Jeeva; screenwriter Juhi Chaturvedi; filmmaker Kunjila Mascillamani; actor and TV host Mini Mathur; filmmaker Nupur Asthana; actor and producer Richa Chadha; filmmaker Rintu Thomas; actor and producer Shweta Tripathi Sharma; comedian, actor, writer, creator, and CE-HOE founder Sumukhi Suresh; filmmaker and author Tahira Kashyap Khurrana; Amazon Prime Video head of India Originals Aparna Purohit, and artistic director of MAMI Smriti Kiran – who curated the room and moderated the discussion.

    “At Amazon, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion, is not just needed, it is essential, and we are constantly trying to go beyond intention to institutionalize processes and mechanisms to create an ecosystem that mirrors true diversity,” said Prime Video’s Aparna Purohit. “Maitri means friendship or kinship, and the idea behind this initiative was to create a space for women to get together as friends, contemporaries and colleagues to collaborate, communicate and pave the way for others to follow.  I believe that making an impactful change takes time, and can only happen when we begin to have a conversation regularly and repeatedly. I am glad that we have taken this small, yet significant step with the help of MAMI.”

    “I have immense faith in collaboration, community building and shared experience,” said Maitri creator and curator Smriti Kiran. “It was invigorating to bring the first room for Maitri: Female First Collective together. The idea behind Maitri is togetherness. Very grateful to Aparna Purohit and Amazon Prime Video for seeing value in this vision and giving Maitri the support that it needs to soar.”

    In June last year, Amazon Studios had released the inclusion policy and playbook, which is being gradually rolled out across the organisation.

  • Wiggles.in’s ‘SheIsABitch’ Campaign reclaims the word ‘Bitch’ on Women’s Day

    Wiggles.in’s ‘SheIsABitch’ Campaign reclaims the word ‘Bitch’ on Women’s Day

    India’s first holistic preventive pet care brand Wiggles.in, curated by vets for your pets continues to empower pet parents like never before. Celebrating women for their choices and taking the brand’s communication a step forward, Wiggles.in launches a digital campaign ‘#SheIsABitch’ with a deeper and introspective thought ahead of International Women’s Day.  #SheIsABitch’ is a User Generated Content (UGC) driven campaign that invites women parenting female dogs aka bitches to participate and be a part of a change that changes the lens that women are viewed and judged from. 

    With a provocative and hard-hitting concept and narrative, #SheIsABitch not just raises eyebrows, but also works towards creating the impact it desires. Being demanding, bossy, or choosy often leads to a woman being labelled as a ‘bitch.’ The campaign hence challenges the stereotype in which a woman is perceived when she decides to stand by her actions, takes bold decisions, makes a choice for herself and even prioritizes herself before anyone else. With a UGC strategy, the campaign invites women with female dogs to celebrate themselves for all the times that they have been tagged a ‘bitch’ with a black & white post. Wiggles.in wants people to realize that there should be no negative connotation attached to the word ‘bitch’ as it first belongs to our furry females.

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/CMCiUFRH5Tg/?igshid=1ucug9tzv12gd 
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CMHPntZnx55/?igshid=1hsvi6abuyvx6 
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CMJHSYkrFKv/?igshid=gjpwejltnini 

    Speaking on the launch of a thought-provoking campaign, Anushka Iyer, Founder and CEO, Wiggles.in says, “We are excited about the response we have received for the campaign so far and believe that #SheIsABitch has the potential to change the manner in which women get labelled the world over. Being a woman founder, I have realized that the only way forward is to be head-strong, resilient and change what needs to be changed without fear.”

    “Our campaign celebrates women for who they really are and reclaims the word ‘bitch’ for female dogs. The word ‘bitch’ is used more often out of context and in a degrading manner reducing the respect that we women deserve. While our campaign celebrates women, it also gives our female dogs their undue respect.”

    Conceptualized and executed in-house by Team Wiggles, the campaign #SheIsABitch is live across social media platforms as well as the Wiggles.in pet parent community called Wiggles Tribe on Facebook. The UGC campaign received participation from over 500 women within 10 hours of its outreach and will continue to be live throughout March. 

    If you are a pet mommy to a female dog(s) specifically, and if you would like to be a part of this revolutionary campaign, upload the cutest black & white picture of the two of you together, on your Instagram handle, use the hashtag #SheIsABitch and tag us on our Instagram @wiggles.india on 8th March – on International Women’s Day. 

  • Zee Kannada’s Sathya meets real-life Sathya characters of Karnataka this International Women’s Day

    Zee Kannada’s Sathya meets real-life Sathya characters of Karnataka this International Women’s Day

    MUMBAI: Every year International Women’s Day is observed on 8 March to celebrate women, their rights and their achievements. This year, Zee Kannada pledges unique women of Karnataka on this honor. Sathya, the most rated show in the regional television market along with being one of Zee Kannada’s and Karnataka’s most impactful shows, sketches the life of a woman, Sathya, who overcomes hardships and fights fearlessly to become a woman of not just the house but also her society. Drawing inspiration from the role of Sathya, Zee Kannada began a quest for similar real-life characters who despite facing the harsh realities and struggles, emerge triumphant as a strong woman who has carved her own identity.

    The research led Sathya to learn about distinct real-life Sathya characters – Sowmya Rani, an auto driver from Mysuru; Sumalatha who works in the night shift at a petrol bunk in Mandya; Roopa Alisa a Go Pink Premium Cabs driver in Bengaluru and Uma Reddy a Swiggy delivery partner in Bengaluru.

    Womanhood is laced with many complexities imposed by culture, society and familial responsibilities. Sathya, the four superwomen and millions of other women have the power to inspire lives, win hearts and above all, change mindsets and create their own identity

    More importantly the show, its character, the Naanu Sathya initiative and all of Zee Kannada’s other shows question the status quo around gender inequality and showcase real life stories of women who excel in fields that are “male centric” and inspire millions of aspiring women who want to prove themselves in fields that the society has marked as “not for women”.  Naanu Sathya is one such initiative that looks to break that stereotype and change the lens through which society sees what a woman can or cannot do.

     Zee Kannada and Zee Picchar business head Raghavendra Hunsur said, “We believe in the power of storytelling and the impact it has on our viewers. With Sathya, we have worked towards blending imperative social issues that women face with an intriguing plot line. Successfully inspiring lives, we go a step further marking this International Women’s Day by honoring and encouraging more such women in our society. Zee Kannada will continue to tell stories that inspire millions to ‘Open Doors to Possibilities’ that help translate dreams to reality.”

  • LinkedIn says #WeCanDoIt on Women’s Day

    LinkedIn says #WeCanDoIt on Women’s Day

    MUMBAI: Online professional network LinkedIn has launched its first global integrated campaign for International Women’s Day 2021 with creators, content and community at its heart. The campaign sees LinkedIn bring together influencers and its community to share content that helps and supports women, creating global engagement across the platform.

    The launch comes at a time when Linkedin’s data shows Covid2019 has disproportionately impacted women’s careers. It’s latest Opportunity Index findings show that 85 per cent of women in India have missed out on a raise, promotion because of their gender. In fact, women’s careers are observed to have been more adversely affected despite increasing flexibility at work, as 68 per cent of women and 74 per cent of working mothers in India say it is difficult to balance career and familial responsibilities today. More than seven in 10 women and working mothers in India also say that household responsibilities often come in their way of career progress.

    Created with lead creative agency VCCP, the campaign will publish advice, insights and inspirational stories to celebrate women’s voices on and off the LinkedIn platform and encourage conversations that help and empower them. The campaign leads with an emotive film showcasing inspirational real-life stories of seven women from around the world. The film, directed by Jessie Ayles, a filmmaker with a focus on socially conscious issues, takes viewers across the world to meet real women telling us their emotive accounts of the doubts, fears and vulnerabilities they have experienced during the pandemic. The campaign features stories of seven women professionals from seven countries from varied industries, who share their pandemic story and talk about a woman in their network who supported and inspired them throughout the crisis. Each story narrates the power of ‘community’, highlighting how women allies come together to help other women shelter their professions from the pandemic and smoothly transition into the new, evolving, normal.

    From India, the campaign features pastry chef and entrepreneur Pooja Dhingra and her struggles as a business owner in the pandemic. In the video, she shares how she was forced to shut down a large part of her pastry business and let go of her staff due to the pandemic. She also credits the unrelenting support from her mother and mentor that helped her survive and pivot a decade-long business effort by reimagining her outlook towards progress and life in the ‘new normal’.

    LinkedIn’s senior director of brand & communications, EMEA, LATAM & APAC Ngaire Moyes, said: “Women have faced greater economic hardship through the Covid2019 pandemic, disproportionately losing jobs and income. Decades of progress in gender equality has been undone in a matter of months. This shift has impacted how our female members interact on the platform and we have seen countless examples of the LinkedIn community sharing their stories and supporting each other in whatever way they can.

    Seeing the way our community pulled together in this crisis was the inspiration for our first international integrated campaign to mark International Women’s Day. Through the #WeCanDoIt campaign, we hope to elevate the voices of our female members across the platform and encourage others to share their personal stories in a bid to help and empower working women around the world.”

    The campaign will go live across PR, social, above the line and through influencer activity, as well as LinkedIn’s owned channels. Besides India, the campaign launches across the UK, France, Germany, Australia and Japan where members will be encouraged to join the conversation on LinkedIn to help and empower others by using #WeCanDoIt.

    To help people and businesses take steps to improve gender equality in the workplace, LinkedIn is also making free online learning courses available to everyone: Leadership Strategies for Women, Planning Your Family Leave and Return, Proven Success Strategies for Women at Work, Own It: The Power of Women at Work, and Becoming a Male Ally at Work (available till 31 March).

  • Wonder Women 100: Mindset needs to change first for more inclusion, diversity

    Wonder Women 100: Mindset needs to change first for more inclusion, diversity

    KOLKATA: Women are increasingly coming out and taking up more challenging roles against all odds. The media, entertainment and advertising industry is no exception. Despite the great strides made over recent years, there are still issues like fewer women leaders in upper management positions and salary gaps that need to be addressed for a better tomorrow.

    In a panel discussion, ‘Women, inclusivity and change’, industry leaders shared their views on the existing gaps and how that can be tackled to bring about positive change. Zee5 head-customer strategy and relationships Anita Nayyar, ABD CMO Anupam Bokey, Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias, NXTDigital group chief technology officer Ru Ediriwira, Madison Media Sigma – Madison World CEO Vanita Keswani, Hollywood actress and producer Rashaana Shah and Indiantelevision.com founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari were part of the discussion. The session was moderated by Indiantelevision.com editorial lead Srishti Choudhary and online lead Arunima Bhattacharya.

    First off, the panelists expressed their opinions on whether corporate India has finally adjusted itself to bring more women professionals into leadership roles. Nayyar said we are miles away from where we actually should be given the kind of women leaders that are there in any industry, not only in advertising and marketing. Women have taken leadership roles in sectors like manufacturing, banking, and automobile; which most people considered no space for a woman.

    Dias brought up another important aspect of addressing the issue. While organisations across the board are hiring more women, these recruitments are happening mostly at the starting level. As time passes, the women get into different life stages, some of them even drop off. Corporates, governments do not enable their female employees to stay in the workforce, there are not enough policies to ensure they don’t quit midway because of changes like marriage and pregnancies.  

    Not everything is grey though. According to Keswani, there is not any gender if looked at from the perspective of microenvironment of media. She added that the industry believes in a person’s capability and does not uphold any bias. Moreover, it is about the individualistic approach. She also highlighted an issue that even some women don’t prefer working with women. “A lot of spirited action and ambition to move up the ladder,” she emphasised. The drive to work and climb up the ladder depends not just on an organisation’s policies, but the person’s family, upbringing, and education.

    Bokey, who works in the liquor industry where gender disparity has been prevalent, said that he joined his current organisation because it had a very transformative agenda. The agenda was not only about market share and sales but also internal management. He asserted that there is no option to not have this diversity because business or brands will suffer otherwise. Equal the numbers better would be the work, he stated.

    Hollywood actor and entrepreneur Shah said women are more well accepted in Hollywood, compared to the Indian film industry. Hollywood is much more inclusive too. She had to go through a great deal of unlearning after moving to Los Angeles. There are more women on sets these days, and there is no code of conduct expected from women particularly, making the experience more liberating. However, she faced a unique problem when she was pitching to venture capitalists to invest in her production house. The investors did not trust women with so much money, making the overall pitching much harder for her.

    The issue with such a mindset is also a big reason for the wage gap among male and female leaders. Nayyar said that everyone, including women, should stop seeing things in terms of gender. There is a wrong perception across industries that female resources can be hired at a cheaper cost. Most of the industries are not equating capability with remuneration, she pointed out. The salaries are not at par because these organisations are, by and large, headed by men. Dias shared a similar view, adding that women don’t negotiate often because they get overwhelmed after breaking the glass ceiling. Experts opined that belief in self can give them a place at the negotiation table.

    Ediriwira highlighted the lack of mentorship in many organisations is another reason for many women just stopping at middle management. “We have the responsibility to mentor and help other women who are coming up behind us,” she shared.

    “Diversity, inclusion – these are not words. These are facilities to be done, things to be done. We don’t want clones of men. A woman will think differently, she will behave in another way, her bodily function will be in a certain way. We want diversity, inclusion in the real sense of the word and that will bring nuances which are different and organisations need to facilitate that,” Dias emphasised.

    Most importantly, being true to yourself, taking care of yourself, empowering and encouraging other women, asking for help rather than going it on your own, are mandatory to bring the change from within.

  • This Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge say Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj

    This Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge say Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj

    MUMBAI: Two of the most inspiring icons of Bollywood and Cricket, Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj, have come together to share the important message of challenging conventions on international women’s day. With Taapsee all geared up to play Mithali on the silver screen in Viacom18 Studio’s upcoming Shabaash Mithu, the duo collaborated to perform a powerful prose penned by Priya Aven, writer of Shabaash Mithu. In this women’s day special video, Taapsee and Mithali are encouraging women from all walks of life to stand up, challenge the norm and take charge of their own stories.

    Watch the film here :

  • Only 8% HOD positions in Indian films in 2019-20 were held by women: Ormax Media Report

    Only 8% HOD positions in Indian films in 2019-20 were held by women: Ormax Media Report

    MUMBAI: On the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March ) this year, media consulting firm Ormax Media and entertainment platform Film Companion have released a report on representation of women in Indian films, titled O Womaniya! 2021. This first-of-its-kind report will be an annual initiative that aims to start necessary conversation about the need for gender parity in Indian cinema. 

    The report is based on analysis of 129 Indian films released in 2019 & 2020 across five languages, i.e., Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam & Kannada. The list includes the top 100 theatrical films based on their footfalls in India, and 29 direct-to-OTT films that were promoted prominently in this period. The report looks at three aspects of representation: Talent, Content & Marketing. 

    In the Talent section of the report, five key HOD positions for the chosen films were analysed, namely direction, writing, cinematography, editing and production design. Only 8 per cent HOD positions were held by women. Direction and Cinematography are particularly lopsided, at just 6 percent and 2 percent female representation respectively. 

    While female HOD representation in Hindi cinema is low at 16 per cent, it is almost non-existent in South cinema, at just 1 per cent 

    The Content section of the report uses the Bechdel Test. The Bechdel Test is an Internationally-accepted measure of female representation in film stories. For a film to pass the Bechdel Test, it needs to meet a basic requirement: It should have at least one scene in which two female characters are talking, and the conversation is about a topic other than a man/men. As many as 59% films, including some of the biggest Hindi and South blockbusters, failed the Bechdel Test. 

    In the Marketing section, trailers of the 129 were analysed, and the speaking time allotted to male and female characters in these trailers was measured. The report reveals that with 81% speaking time, male characters ‘outspeak’ female characters by more than four times in film trailers, thus concluding that most films are being marketed via male actors and characters. Only 10 out of 129 films had trailers where women spoke more than men. 

    Film Companion founder & editorbAnupama Chopra said: “We all know that the playing field is skewed in favour of men, but the numbers reveal how stark the difference is. I’m thrilled that we could partner with Ormax Media on this report, and I hope that the O Womaniya! report will ignite a conversation and hopefully, change."

    Ormax Media founder & CEO Shailesh Kapoor said: “The extremity of the numbers in the report should serve as an eye-opener for all stakeholders. Single-digit percentage representation in key HOD positions is a sign that there’s a deep-seated cultural issue to address. By tracking these factual metrics year-on-year, we will be able to conclude whether the shift in views related to gender equality in cinema are real or merely perceptual”. 

  • On Women’s Day, Godrej tells us to #ChallengeBiasesWithin

    On Women’s Day, Godrej tells us to #ChallengeBiasesWithin

    MUMBAI: Mahatma Gandhi famously said – ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’. Exemplifying this powerful message on the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2021, the Godrej Group has released a new digital video campaign #ChallengeBiasesWithin which urges every person irrespective of their gender, culture, ability, and orientation, to first challenge the deeply wired biases and stereotypes within themselves, before asking others to do so externally. Ultimately, changing and creating a more inclusive, equal world. 

    The digital film aims to highlight the fact that this Women’s Day instead of just wishing her and expecting things to change, one should rather instigate the change and challenge the stereotype within us. The campaign urges everyone to take responsibility for their own thoughts and actions. Changing from within is what will guarantee the fulfilment of a dream of an inclusive world. The film captures women from different walks of life and in different roles such as corporate executives, women working in male dominant technical areas, physically challenged women and working mothers – all defying society expectations of what a woman should or should not do.

    The film, conceptualised by Team Godrej and Creativeland Asia, went live on International Women’s Day across all social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    Godrej Group executive director & chief brand officer Tanya Dubash said, “Women have always been facing the challenge of having more to prove than their male peers to be taken just as seriously. This is all due to our conditioning and stereotypes. That is why on this Women's Day, we would like to urge everyone to challenge their stereotypes. At Godrej, we strongly believe that each one of us is unique and we can only truly grow when we can be our 'whole self' at work. We, as an organisation, will continue to understand and support the challenges that women face so that they choose to challenge at the workplace. We constantly strive to create an environment where women are provided the freedom to enjoy the best of professional and personal choices.” 

    Creativeland chief creative officer Asia Anu Joseph added, “The truth is Godrej has some of the best ‘diversity friendly, equality promoting’ policies in the country. But, even they realise that equality won’t be a reality till the biases and stereotypes are uprooted from deep within our minds. The narrative for this film aligns with the International Women’s Day theme, and calls for both men and women to challenge their own biases.”

  • Central’s new Insta-web series says #WomenWearItBetter

    Central’s new Insta-web series says #WomenWearItBetter

    New Delhi: Women’s Day is all about celebrating the true essence of being a woman. To capture the same, Central has released a campaign called #WomenWearItBetter this Women’s Day.

    Crafted by digital and influencer marketing agency NDMPL, the campaign consists of an immersive web series told through Instagram stories via a fresh Instagram account – Women Wear It Better.

    The campaign gets its name from the insight that women are better when it comes to gauging a situation, accepting challenges, fulfilling dreams, and achieving aspirations with confidence, sass, and style. The web series attempts to break the stereotypes faced by women; like ‘women don’t get along with each other’, ‘a woman doesn’t like it when another woman is wearing an outfit similar to hers’, ‘a group of women is more chaos, less result’, and many more.

    With every episode, Instagram users get to become an integral part of the journey by sharing their tips, thoughts and opinions with the protagonists. Users are even encouraged to share their own incidents and stories that match various stages of the story. The dedicated handle also addresses and amplifies the attitude that makes every woman a winner.

    Future Group digital marketing head Pawan Sarda said, “Central as a brand has always been connected with the youth and therefore on the occasion of Women’s Day, we wanted to re-inculcate a sense of pride into every woman's mind, while at the same time not veering away from our primary offering – fashion.”

    NDMPL director Natasha Saraogi, who spearheaded the campaign, remarked, “Usually, Women’s Day conversations are lost in the age-old talks about independence and feminism. But we chose to juxtapose the sense of confidence that women have in them with their fashion as well as their attitude, and hence came up with the idea of #WomenWearItBetter. The idea was to give the Instagram audience more with their every tap on Instagram stories, and looking at the response we can confidently say we achieved it.”

  • Adidas celebrates Women’s Day with Watch Us Move campaign

    Adidas celebrates Women’s Day with Watch Us Move campaign

    New Delhi: In the run-up to International Women’s Day, global sportswear giant Adidas has launched Watch Us Move – a campaign to celebrate womanhood and their freedom of movement.

    The launch of the campaign saw Manushi Chhillar, Dipika Pallikal and Nikhat Zareen coming together to narrate how they have broken unrealistic stereotypes of perfection through their incredible journey and positioned themselves as role models for young girls across the country.

    “Watch Us Move is all about encouraging women to express themselves through movement. Every woman has her own definition of movement, of what progress looks like. Yet many tell her what to do, how to look and who to be with. With the launch of this campaign, adidas aims to provide 100 per cent support for all women making moves as they move the world,” said Adidas senior director Sunil Gupta.

    Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar said the campaign celebrates women, their achievements and inspires us to keep a positive approach to life. “It celebrates the fact that being feminine is powerful in every way, shape and form. Through this platform, I would like to say we are ready to move and now, more so than ever, it’s time for the world to ‘watch us move’,” she added.

    Indian squash player Deepika Pallikal said, “Watch Us Move is a rallying call for all women to be the drivers of change for one another with their inspiring rebellious optimism. Through this campaign, I urge women to express themselves more freely and also to move and enjoy and see how this movement can do wonders to their bodies and minds for overall well being.”

    The campaign is timed with the arrival of Adidas’ most supportive active wear range – Formotion – a collection that has been developed by an all-female design team to deliver maximum support, whilst offering a comfortable fit that works seamlessly with the body in motion. Formotion is a celebration of freedom and expression through movement and inclusivity for all women.