Gender equality gets a boost with global media event

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New Delhi - In another process towards mainstreaming gender, UN Women has proudly partnered with One Day on Earth. It is a global media event, where participants will simultaneously film the world around them, in a course of 24 hours. The cause of ‘Gender Equality’ is being anchored into this event by UN Women.

UN Women South Asia will track the lives and experiences of elected women leaders. The footage from South Asia is being collected from across three locations in India and Bhutan. From Panchayat leaders in Odisha state in India to Bhutan’s first and only woman elected Gup- we will use this symbolic day to showcase their tremendous perseverance and grit. Focus will also be drawn upon the everyday lives of women in the city of New Delhi, in India.

The videos from India are being shot in New Delhi and in Dhenkanal district of Odisha. The filming in New Delhi will include snapshots of the impact of a cartoon campaign showcasing gender equality issues in the Delhi Metro. These cartoons highlight women’s rights issues in an easily understandable manner and were originally designed for UN Women’s Calendar for 2011 by leading cartoonists from across India. To expand outreach, these were used in the Delhi Metro.

In Odisha, the life of a woman Panchayat leader, who is part of our Governance programme, is being documented. The footage from Odisha will bring grassroots realities to the fore. The challenges faced while functioning as a decision-maker, in this patriarchal society, along with the sense of empowerment, will be intertwined in the video.

UN Women, UNDP and other partners are capturing the story of the one and only female elected Gup in Bhutan, which is unprecedented and could possibly encourage more women to take part in decision-making processes. We will go to her village to document her life as a female leader, her challenges, her aspirations and dreams for her constituents.

The event is remarkable because it is ensured that every country in the world is contributing footage to the film archives. Also, the event has been choreographed to take place on this symbolic date, today. Last year, during the first One Day on Earth event, 3,000 hours of footage were submitted. Also, the footage from the year 2010 is being released as a feature film, in February, next year.

To know more about the programme, please click here.