NWMI Member Elected to Kerala Journalists’ Union
On International Women’s Day, March 8, 2018, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia Pacific, launched a campaign to improve women’s leadership in journalists’ unions and associations in the region. The IFJ noted that though the number of women working in the media continues to grow, they are still not leading in journalist unions. Recent research revealed that on average, only 28 percent of members in media unions and associations in the Asia Pacific are women; and the presence of women in executive committees and decision-making bodies is only 22 percent.
Uma Sudhir was presented with the Chameli Devi Award for an Outstanding Woman Journalist for the year 2017 by The Media Foundation in Delhi on 9 March 2018. In her acceptance speech, Uma paid tribute to reporters across the country who do the everyday reporting integral to journalism and to the camerapersons and team work without which TV journalism in particular would be impossible. She also raised the contentious issue of what is “national” and what is “regional,” and questioned the unfortunate, growing tendency to reduce reporters to mere soundbite collectors.
Anita Cheria and Pushpa Achanta from Bengaluru and Linda Chhakchuak from Meghalaya, all NWMI members, were among the women recognised through the Nirbhaya Award for their work in reporting on gender, human rights and social issues. The Nirbhaya Award was presented on March 8, 2018, by the Indian Economic Trade Organisation in recognition of the contribution of women in different walks of life. The award was presented by Asha Devi, mother of Jyoti Singh whose brutal rape and murder in 2012 sparked off a wave of outrage across the country, eventually leading to changes in the criminal law on rape.
Ranjita Biswas, member of the Bengal network of NWMI, received the Sahitya Akademi’s Best Translation Award (English) for 2018. Ranjita received the award for her translation of “Written in Tears” (Harper Collins), a collection of novellas and short stories by Arupa P Kalita on the theme of conflict in Assam in the 1980-90s.
