J&K’s ‘video reporter’ bags Martha Farell Award

New Delhi: Nadiya Shafi, 29, is bringing issues such as domestic violence, gender inequality, urban and civic problems, which ail the Jammu and Kashmir, back into focus.

The Srinagar resident, who works as a ‘video reporter’ with Kashmir Unheard Project and Video Volunteers and leads gender discussion clubs, bringing together various people.

She was awarded the Martha Farrell Award on Wednesday in New Delhi for promoting gender equality and women empowerment  in the Most Promising Individual category, carrying a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh. The award is co-sponsored by Rizwan Adatia Foundation (RAF) and Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), and supported by Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF).

After completing her studies in Masters in Social Work, Ms Shafi started working with NGOs on issues related to gender since the past four years. “There has been so much news and talk about the volatile situation in J&K that people and authorities forget that the state also has issues such as gender inequality and domestic violence etc that need tl be addressed like any other state in the country.

Even basic problems such as poor health and education infrastructure go unnoticed. So we work in order to bring these issues back into the mainstream,” she said. The gender discussion clubs comprise students, housewives, labourers, artisans, farmers and citizens of Srinagar. Shew said, “They are   involved in discussions about sexuality, patriarchy, and gender inequality and a host ofother related issues.

Ms Shafi is currently in the process of expanding these clubs to the Shopian and Pulwama districts of Southern Kashmir, which are some of the most disturbed areas of J&K with decades-long armed and cross-border conflicts.

“Earlier, it was difficult to engage people to talk about these issues. But now not only women, even men too participate in these sessions enthusiastically,” she said.

The best organisation for gender e-quality category has been won by the Maharashtra-based Resource and Support Centre for Development (RSCD) for “sustained efforts towards promoting inclusion of women in political processes across 30 districts of Maharashtra and in developing gender sensitivity in its workplace”.

Established in 1994, RSCD started the Mahila Rajsatta Andolan (MRA) in 2000 and have since seen increased women’s participation in local governance structures.