By IANS,
New York : “In Silence: Maternal Mortality in India,” a video about the life and death of an Indian mother, has won a Webby People’s Voice Award, Human Rights Watch said.
The story of Kiran Yadav, a 25-year-old who bled to death while delivering her third child, was produced by Human Rights Watch with Magnum photojournalist Susan Meiselas.
“We’re delighted to have won a Webby and we’re dedicating the award to Kiran Yadav and to expectant mothers around the world who face needless, sometimes fatal, risks in pregnancy and childbirth,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.
“Mother’s Day is coming up in the US, so it’s a good time for the Obama administration to step up the financial and technical aid that can cut maternal death rates.”
Around 700,000 votes were cast in the Webby People’s Voice Awards. The maximum went to the video.
Human Rights Watch and Meiselas will be honored at the Webby Awards Gala in New York June 14.
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards are the leading international award honoring excellence on the internet including websites, interactive advertising, online film and video as well as mobile websites.
The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 650-people judging academy whose members include Martha Stewart, Bob Greenberg, David Bowie and Arianna Huffington.