On February 3rd, the International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter hosted the ‘Voice of Change – Gender Sensitisation in Media’ summit at T-Hub, Hyderabad. Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lt. Governor Dr. (Smt.) Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Chief Guest, urged people to protest against the discriminatory portrayal of women in films and advertisements, asserting that “we must share the dais to break the bias.”

The summit aimed to combat gender stereotypes across media formats—from 30-second ads to full-length films. The Governor highlighted personal experiences and public examples of gender bias, including an incident where a child doubted that a woman could be a governor, and advertisements stereotyping women’s roles. She emphasized that societal mindsets must evolve and called on the advertising industry to be catalysts for change.

UNICEF’s Geetanjali Master presented research findings from a study conducted with the Geena Davis Institute, which analyzed over 1,000 ads and revealed persistent gender biases. Dr. A.L. Sharada, Director of Population First, stressed the role of digital media in advancing inclusive narratives and the need for systemic shifts in patriarchal attitudes.

Charulata Ravikumar, MD at Accenture, spoke on ‘Responsible Communication,’ reinforcing that gender discrimination still prevails in content creation.

IAA India Chapter President Avinash Pandey and Women’s Empowerment Committee Chairperson Nina Elavia Jaipuria opened the summit with a powerful context-setting.

Panel Discussions Highlight Change and Challenges :

One panel, moderated by anchor Swapna, explored ‘Gender Conscious and Purposeful Entertainment.’ Speakers included actor-director Srinivas Avasarala, filmmaker Nandini Reddy, Dr. Pranathi Reddy of Rainbow Hospitals, and IPS officer Shikha Goel. Discussions ranged from gender parity in storytelling to real-world impacts of media portrayal, such as crime influence and societal expectations.

Another session, ‘Gender Conscious Creativity in Communications,’ was moderated by Megha Tata, Co-Chair of the IAA Women’s Empowerment Committee. Panelists included IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan, Vijay Gopal (RK Swamy BBDO), Hemant Agarwal (CMD, Associated Advertising), and Dr. Shailee Swarop (Founder, Tooth Company). The panel examined how societal norms influence advertising narratives and called for grassroots change through local language media and aligned government-industry efforts.

The final fireside chat titled ‘Conscious Creativity in Films, OTT, and Advertising’ featured Femina Miss India 2020 Manasa Varanasi and WE HUB CEO Deepthi Ravula. They reflected on evolving beauty standards, representation, and the need for conversations that drive systemic change. Both emphasized the importance of curiosity, challenge, and purpose over commercial success.

Sakshi Media Group was the Principal Partner and UNICEF served as the Knowledge Partner for the summit.