The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : NCW chief finds fault with media portrayal of women

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 18, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

NCW chief finds fault with media portrayal of women

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, DEC. 17. How should the media, both the print and the electronic, portray women in general? That was the question asked at a workshop on "Women's health, law and media", organised by the Maharshi Bharadwaja Society at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) here on Friday.

Presenting their arguments were Poornima Advani, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) on one side and Smriti Irani, BJP activist and bahu of Kyonki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi fame.

Dr. Poornima spoke of the do's and don'ts of the media. She said the print media was more interested in news of which Hollywood actress was pregnant and of George Bush's pet dog falling sick, than on covering the plight of a rural women or the story of atrocities against a tribal woman.

On the electronic media, she said the NCW had called some television producers to explain how some scenes were shot in general and some scenes in particular. Why did every frame have to show women in poor light and why should there be exploitation? Why did not television programmes show the plight of women in the rural areas, she asked.

Dr. Poornima went on to add that if Ms. Smriti were to become a producer, the NCW would have no problems. But, the latter quipped amid laughter, "I would not like to turn producer, because then the NCW would summon me too."

In her address later, Ms. Smriti said there was no reason why anyone should draw a line between men and women. "Don't we have enough divisions as it is? Don't men have problems? It would be everyone's interest to fight problems together and thrash out solutions," she said.Others present were the Director, NIN, B. Sivakumar, and the president, Maharshi Bharadwaj Society, P.T. Chandramouli.

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