Chennai, October 16: The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, in association with Sakhi Women’s Resource Centre and the Women in Cinema Collective, organized a workshop “Shift Focus: Women Shaping the Narrative in Media and Entertainment” at Hotel Savera in Chennai on Wednesday, October 16. The U.S. Consul General Robert Burgess inaugurated the workshop.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Burgess said, “Investing in and supporting women entrepreneurs fuels economic growth. It drives innovation to address the critical challenges communities face worldwide. Women’s voices are critical to global security, prosperity, and peace. This is not just an Indian story; the scenario is similar in the United States, and elsewhere in the world.”
Around 35 representatives of media and entertainment industries across India, including actors, directors, technicians, producers, and journalists, participated in the two-day workshop. The workshop aimed to build awareness about practical strategies to address equality, parity, and the safety of women in the industry highlighting business and work opportunities for women, as directors, producers, financiers, scriptwriters, and technicians in the 21st century entertainment industry.
The Women Shaping the Narrative project builds on the November 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which was held in India supporting the theme “Women First, Prosperity for All.” The 2017 GES highlighted Media and Entertainment as one of four major sectors that can serve as a major catalyst for innovation, technology, and job growth for women.
Photo Caption: U.S. Consul General Robert Burgess joins participants at the launch of the workshop “Shift Focus: Women Shaping the Narrative in Media and Entertainment” in Chennai. (L to R): Lauren Lovelace, Consul for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Consulate General; Rejitha G. Pillai, Program Coordinator, Sakhi Women Resource’s Center, Thiruvananthapuram; Bina Paul, Co-Founder, Women in Cinema Collective, Thiruvananthapuram; Ammu Joseph, Writer and Co-Chairs of the project, Bengaluru; and U.S. Consul General Robert G. Burgess.
Sakhi Women’s Resource Centre: Launched in 1996, Sakhi Women’s Resource Centre is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization based in Thiruvananthapuram. Their aim is to advocate for change within institutions and structures to create gender justice practices and enhance economic and social empowerment of women. (http://sakhikerala.org)
Women in Cinema Collective (WCC): Launched in 2017, WCC’s vision is to create equal spaces and opportunities for women in the entertainment industry through advocacy and policy change. (https://wccollective.org/resources/)
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media: Founded in 2004 by Academy Award Winning Actor Geena Davis, the institute works collaboratively within the entertainment industry to engage, educate, and influence the creation of gender balanced onscreen portrayals, reducing harmful stereotypes and creating an abundance of unique and intersectional female characters in entertainment targeting children 11 and under. (https://seejane.org/about-us/).
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