By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: Five Muslims journalists were announced as winners of the prestigious Laadli Media award on Thursday for Gender Sensitivity 2015-16 among 37 others from across the country.
Now in its 8th edition, the Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for gender sensitivity has been supported by Colors TV channel as the ‘cause partner’, United Nations Population Fund along with Population First and newspaper Telegraph.
Abdul Gani, Dr Syed Mubin Zehra, Mohd Tariq Zargar, Rahiba Rashid, and Tazeen Qureshi were shortlisted for the award. The award ceremony took place at Chinmaya mission, Lodhi road, New Delhi on Thursday evening.
The award carries a certificate and a trophy.
Guwahati-based journalist Abdul Gani, who has earlier worked for Twocircles.net and now writes for Times of India, The Citizen, Nezine and Anadolu Agency, was awarded for the ‘best web feature’ in English language.
The web feature story ‘When All Become One’ published on nezine.com focuses on the efforts of a group of village women led by Purnima Devi Barman to conserve the endangered greater Adjutant Stork in Kamrup district of Assam.
“In his efforts to highlight the role of women in eco-conservation, Abdul Gani is awarded the Laadli Media and Advertising award for gender sensitivity,” reads the certificate.
“It’s always great to get your work recognized. I’m happy especially because of these wonderful women who have been involved in such a noble cause. I would also like to thank Purnima Devi Barman for her support and also for her selfless work towards conservation,” Gani told Twicircles.net over phone from Guwahati.
“They set an example for thousand others across the country and beyond. I dedicate this honour to these women,” he added.
Along with Gani, Dr Syed Mubin Zehra’s column “Sarghoshiya” in Urdu newspaper Inquilab, Mohd Tariq Zargar’s “Bete Aye Khusiyan Laye” on Radio Kashmir, Rahiba Rashid magazine feature, “Staying, Fighting and Dreaming’ and Tazeen Qureshi, electronic feature “In an Odisha village, a bold conversation movement by women” telecasted on NDTV were also awarded for their contributions.
The Laadli Media Awards honour, recognise and celebrate the efforts of those in media and advertising who highlight pressing gender concerns. It was launched in 2007. A year later, UNFPA joined Population First to make it a pan India event.