Mumbai: As India turns a grand 75, have we forgotten to bring to the fore women's issues in the media, or are we merely indulging in tokenism by scratching the surface? In an interaction with Indiantelevision.com, journalist turned entrepreneur, Shaili Chopra, reflects on the critical role that the media can play in changing perceptions of women in India and how gender equality can be achieved with the media as allies.
As a thought leader on women’s issues and now a digital entrepreneur and observer, and as someone who has worked extensively in the media sector with 18 years of television journalism behind her, Chopra shares her insights on what’s missing in mainstream Indian media today, even 75 years after the country gained its freedom.
Chopra is the founder of SheThePeople, a digital platform that helps shape new initiatives to support women to claim their rightful space at decision-making tables. With a focus on content, community, and skill development, it covers issues like women's health, careers, and sexuality. She was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year award by Entrepreneur India in 2017.
Named one of India's 50 most influential women in media, marketing and advertising by UK-based Impact Magazine in 2016, Chopra has authored four books. Her fifth book on women's contribution in economic growth called ‘Sisterhood Economy’ came out last week.
Her experiences at SheThePeople have led her to her next femtech venture, Gytree, which will launch next month and aims to provide primary and preventive healthcare to Indian women. According to Chopra, Gytree.com is a fearless and comfortable space for women to discuss their sexual and gynaecological health issues and needs.
Edited excerpts
On Indian media’s portrayal of women and what more needs to be done on the front
Shaili: We are behind the curve in how we cover women. We are slow to recognise that women’s issues are headline issues and must not be relegated to the city/inside pages of the newspaper. Things have moved for the better in the last few years. However, we are still way, way behind.
It’s not just good enough to talk about women as women. We need to showcase female mathematicians for their math, and not just because they are women. We need to talk about the politics, health, and economics of women. We are not yet there at all. We are too busy doing tokenism and celebrating the ‘womanhood’ of these females, who in fact are way beyond that in their journey of growth and success. Let’s not just celebrate their gender, but what they do and bring to the table.
And so, I urge all that, over the next few years, let’s prove that patriotism isn’t just about hoisting a flag in every home but also about providing equal opportunity, access, and space to half of the country’s population. If India must grow to a 4.5 trillion dollar economy by 2025, be sure it won’t just be one gender that will take us there.
On what has changed for women in India over the last few years
Shaili: When I set up SheThePeople in 2015, they asked me, why do women need a separate channel? With more than 700 million women and half of the country’s population, we deserve our own space, our own voice, and a return on investment for our vote.
As we celebrate 75 years of Indian independence, I believe things are changing and I am proud to be part of changing that narrative. There is a growing sisterhood of women in the world’s largest democracy who want to get their voices heard, their presence felt, and their economics to matter.
On why it's vital to talk about women’s stories and what makes the media a significant tool
Shaili: Around the world, women are far less likely than men to be seen in the media. As subjects of stories, women only appear in a quarter of all television, radio, and print news. In a 2015 report, women made up a mere 19 per cent of experts featured in news stories and 37 per cent of reporters telling stories globally. The world is becoming more diverse, and it’s a newsroom’s responsibility to reflect this.
Today, the media as a tool is important and necessary to move beyond traditional stereotypes of women and have diverse storytellers share their unique perspective in the media. While we are at it, it's time that the media wakes up to include voices from marginalised communities, become caste-inclusive, and go beyond the gender binary to accurately represent the society we live in and tell relevant and impactful stories. We, at SheThePeople, have used the digital platform successfully to help amplify diverse voices and help women’s issues be heard.
On increased representation of women as media persons
Shaili: If seeing is believing, then we need to have far more female representation across the board, across segments of the media (front-facing on-air as well as in business).
Like in many sectors, in the media too, the funnel of female leadership shrinks at higher positions. At the moment, there are many top anchors, but how many of them are driving the business or managing it? very few. I think that’s part of the problem.
A study has also found that women continue to be given what are essentially "soft" beats like lifestyle and fashion, leaving the "hard" beats like politics, economy, and sports to the men.
The Indian media, by marginalising women’s voices, denies the rights of nearly half the population. By having more women in leadership positions in the media, we can produce more gender-sensitive and gender-transformative content. As a participant and observer of the media industry for over a decade, I have always said that women and men need to be provided the same opportunities. This includes decision-making in all kinds of activities, so that the path to gender equality is sustainable and both women and men’s interests are accounted for..
