NWMB

Do join us for our public meeting this evening at 6.30pm at the Press Club Mumbai.
Public Meeting: Can Independent Media Survive in the New Bharat/India?
SPEAKERS: Dhanya Rajendran: Editor, The News Minute , Meena Kotwal: Editor, Mooknayak , Naresh Fernandes: Editor, Scroll and Mihir Desai: Senior Lawyer MODERATOR: Kalpana Sharma: independent journalist

The World Bank has refered to India as "a global agricultural powerhouse". With the majority of the country's underprivileged living in rural areas, effective media coverage of agrarian issues is of utmost importance.
This members only panel discussion on February 3 examines the existing media coverage.

Reporting Agriculture: Are Journalists Missing Core Issues?
PANELISTS:
1. Parth MN: independent journalist
2. R. Ramakumar: professor, TISS
3. Seema Kulkarni: feminist activist, researcher.
MODERATOR: Kavitha Iyer: journalist, author



📷 Hamish John Appleby for IWMI

Our host city, Mumbai is the focus of a panel discussion for our members on February 3.
We will look at the challenges and vulnerabilities that the city faces and possible remedies.

Cities in Crisis: A Look at Mumbai PANELISTS: 1. Amita Bhide: professor, TISS 2. Hussain Indorewala: teacher, urban researcher 3. Shirish Patel: architect, urban planner. MODERATOR: Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar: senior journalist



📷 Neeta Kolhatkar

Make way, Mumbai, for NWMI.
✨️ 💫🌟 🎉🎊🥳
The 18 th NWMI National meet officially begins today.


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InkSights is a monthly series by NWMI member Anupama Bijur using art to view current affairs through a gender and news lens.

Just 72 more hours to go for our National Meet in Mumbai! More than 250 women media persons from across the country are all set to discuss and debate media issues and to celebrate our unique solidarity! 👸👸👸💪💪💪
Some more Network trivia: Did you know that NWMI as a collective is decentralised and non-hierarchical, with no secretariat, office-bearers or funds?
It exists solely because of the dedicated participation and contribution of everyone involved!

Power packed sessions have been organised for our members during our 18 th National meet in Mumbai.
We kick off on February 2 with a panel discussion on the challenges of election reporting.
Senior journalists Deepa Kadam, Nirupama Subramanian, Raakhee Roytalukdar and Vasanthi Hariprakash will share their insights. Jyoti Punwani, independent journalist will moderate.


📷 Bikash Biswas, Swapnopuron Society.

With just four days to go, our network groups are buzzing with members strategizing rendezvous at airports and train stations.
Some are unleashing their inner fashionistas for that perfect snazzy travel outfit
🫦🤳 😎

One of the perks of being an NWMI member is having access to fabulous 'members only' discussions.
Our members are getting ready for some filmy tadka this Friday. We're going to be delving into the topic of gender representation in Indian films with this amazing panel: Ratna Pathak Shah- actor, Kiran Rao- director, Rajshri Deshpande-actor and Ish*ta Moitra- screenwriter.
Filmaker and writer Paromita Vohra will moderate.


📷Neeta Kolhatkar.

Aati kya Bambai? 😎🫦👑💪💪💪😎

The Proposed Broadcasting Bill Will Irreparably Damage Free Speech In India: NWMI The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), has made a detailed submission to the Central Government regarding the proposed Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2023. Since this Bill could potentially drastically alter the media landscape in India, NWMI has exhorted the government to not, under....

Only 5 more days to go for NWMI’s 18th National Meet in Mumbai Feb 2-4, 2024! A bit of Network triva:
This is the third time Mumbai is playing host. The National Meet returns to Mumbai after 2013 and 2004.

The new Broadcasting Bill proposed by the government poses a grave threat to media freedom, creative freedom and freedom of expression in general. It should concern all of us: journalists, artists and private citizens.

If legalese sends your head spinning, here is the new Broadcasting Bill very helpfully broken down in layperson's terms by the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF):
https://internetfreedom.in/comments-on-the-broadcasting-bill-2023/

The government has called for comments on the Bill from all stakeholders - that includes you, the public. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) is running a campaign that makes it easy for you to send the government your feedback: https://internetfreedom.in/letter-to-MIB-let-us-chill/

We urge you to participate.

Alternatively, you can write directly to the Information & Broadcasting Ministry on the email provided on the PIB website: jsb-moib[at]gov[dot]in

The deadline for sending your feedback on this Bill is January 15.

If you wish to protect streaming shows, your favourite YouTubers, independent channels and others from crushing censorship, if you wish to stop the government from killing critiques, comedy, satire and the truth, please tell them what you think of the Broadcasting Bill.



Internet Freedom Foundation

To all our well-wishers and all sisters in solidarity, a very happy New Year! While we celebrate how much we've achieved as women in the past, reminds us in this month’s InkSights that we need to keep up the good fight as we enter 2024.

won the 2023 in with 115 seats in the , against the 69 won by the . A total of 9 female candidates fielded by the BJP also won.

's ground report looks at the strategic mobilisation of women.
https://nwmindia.org/gender-lens/gender-media-elections/bringing-middle-class-women-into-the-political-fold/

The Wire has put up a video featuring Karan Thapar called 'The Revenge Interview’, where various individuals get to quiz Thapar on issues that he has covered.
They had announced that Suhel Seth (who you will recall was accused of allegedly harassing and molesting multiple women) will be the first "interviewer".
Though The Wire's tweet/X post on this video has been taken down, the video itself and an online article are still available on YouTube and their website.
NWMI has expressed its disappointment with The Wire & Thapar's choice of "interviewer" through this tweet/post on X. (This tweet/ post was also posted on Tuesday 26 December on NWMI's Insta & FB stories)

The Mizoram election results were a sweet victory for women candidates. Three female MLAs were elected into the 40-member legislature. This is a landmark for a state that had seen a TOTAL of only three women in the legislature since 1978!

In our latest blog entry, Ninglun Hanghal analyses how women have recently been tasting electoral success across the Seven Sisters, where women participate enthusiastically in the election exercise as voters and campaigners but had little luck as candidates.

Click on the link for the full story.
https://nwmindia.org/gender-lens/gender-media-elections/positive-trend-in-womens-representation-in-electoral-politics-in-northeastern-india/

Also, check out other recommended reads at the bottom to watch this trend play out over time...

Warmest congratulations to all NWMI members for winning the prestigious National REDINK Awards for Excellence in Journalism awarded by Mumbai Press Club. The award ceremony was held at the Opera House in Mumbai on 2 December, 2023. This award is presented for excellence in print, digital medium and television stories with an aim to to promote best practices among journalists and encourage good quality writing, fair play, and high ethical standards'.
We are proud to declare
1. Dhanya Rajendran, , joint winner, Journalist of the Year
2. Tanvi Deshpande, , winner, Saving the Environment (Print,)
3. Bhumika Saraswati, , joint winner, Women Empowerment & Gender Equality (Video)
4. Kirti Dubey, winner, Politics & Government (Video)

To read about their work, click https://nwmindia.org/network-news/award-winners/nwmi-members-win-redink-awards-2023/

Thank you & !🙏
The Laadli Gender Champion award was created about 3 years ago by the Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity (LMAAGS) in memory of Kamla Bhasin, Gail Omvedt, and Sonal Shukla, who passed away in 2021.
The award will be presented at the 3rd edition of the South Asia Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity.

The 'Laadli Media Awards' is an initiative of Mumbai-based social impact organization Population First, supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

🗓️ Date: December 12, 2023
🕡 Time: 6:30 pm onwards
📍 Venue: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai.

InkSights by : "Peace on Earth..." is more than just a wish this festive season, as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.

Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN-Women, points out that women and girls pay the highest price in armed conflicts.

“Since October 7, when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, 67% of the more than 14,000 people killed in Gaza are estimated to be women and children,” Bahous said last week. (The latest figure for Palestinian fatalities is over 15,000.)

180 women in Gaza are giving birth daily without water, painkillers or anaesthesia for C-sections.

5,500 women in Gaza and 8,000 in the West Bank are to give birth this month.

40% of the deaths in Gaza have been children.

(Source: UNFPA, UN-Women, UNICEF, UNOCHA)

“Women in Gaza have told us that they pray for peace, but that if peace does not come, they pray for a quick death, in their sleep, with their children in their arms,” Bahous said.  “It should shame us all that any mother, anywhere, has such a prayer.”

In this scenario, "Peace on earth, goodwill to all" is not just a festive greeting, but a painful reminder of how far we are from achieving peace for all humankind.

InkSights is a monthly art and current affairs series by NWMI member . You can view the InkSights archive on our website: https://nwmindia.org/category/gender-lens/inksights/