WUNRN
India - Radio Drama Addresses Gender
Inequality
The BBC World Service
Trust announced today a new radio drama addressing gender inequality in
The 2001 Indian Census revealed a sharp drop in the
child sex ratio to 927 girls per 1000 boys (from 945 girls per 1000 boys in
1991).
Far below the national average are the Indian states
of Punjab, which has a child sex ratio (0-6 years) of 793, Haryana with 820,
and
The BBC World Service Trust conducted a research study
in 2007 on how best to use media to address this growing issue.
The study concluded that fictional drama would be a
suitable medium, as it gives an opportunity to unravel the reasons for son
preference, demonstrate ways in which social pressure can be challenged, and
depict women in a variety of roles that would serve to increase their value
within the family and society.
Mass media
The rise of modern mass media in
Men interviewed for the research study made unprompted
references to the revealing clothes worn by fashionable women, and to ‘sexy'
movies and music videos which were seen as having a ‘bad' effect on girls.
Contemporary film heroines wear revealing clothes, and
for many, represented sexual liberation, vulgarity, and immodesty.
The research found that film stars also symbolise the
reality that some girls in big cities are getting bolder, looking more
glamorous, and no longer looking chaste, all reflections of an assumed loss of
‘traditional culture'.
In many instances, the analysis found these images are
leading to regressive, disrespectful, and derogatory attitudes towards women.
The research concluded that if the media were to
depict the positive aspects of modern women, then it could be a force for
change in increasing their value, instead of contributing to or perpetuating
negative, stereotypical images.
Power of radio
Radio drama offers an opportunity to explore the
social and cultural attitudes fuelling gender inequality.
Inequality is embedded in intimate family relations,
involving inter-generational conflict between in-laws and couples. It operates
within the arena of power and control and directly engages with volatile issues
of sexuality, reproduction, income and gender conflict.
These issues are effectively explored through the
serial drama format. FM radio, which is very popular in urban
Broadcast on Meow FM,
================================================================
To contact the list administrator, or to leave the list, send an email to: wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com.
Thank you.