New Delhi: Two reports published on The Wire – an article by Sayantan Datta and a video by Pawanjot Kaur and Soumashree Sarkar – have been awarded at the Laadli Media Awards 2023.Datta’s article, ‘Indian Science Institute’s Curious Penchant for Gendered Hostels‘ published on The Wire Science, won the prize in the English (Features) category. Their article had highlighted how a very small fraction of India’s science education centres facilitate equitable access to various spaces for people of different genders, and how this almost always leaves out concerns of transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary persons.“Sayantan Datta’s feature exposes the wide‐ranging consequences of gender‐segregated living arrangements in science institutions, including reinforcing biases, sexualising friendships and hindering scientific collaborations. The report’s impact led to policy changes at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (Mohali) towards more inclusive student housing,” the Laadli Award citation for Datta read.The two award citations.Kaur and Sarkar, in a video report from the south of West Bengal titled ‘In Bengal, Two Villages 90 Km Apart Reel From Different Effects of Climate Change‘, had looked at two villages where women are integral parts of the local water ecosystem offer a picture of the disparate realities of an area as minuscule as the Bengal coast. Their report won the award in the Feature-Video, English category.“The Wire’s feature video is an outstanding work of journalism that effectively addresses the critical issue of climate change’s impact on women’s health in coastal Bengal. It excels in analysis, perspective, facts, language, presentation and topicality. This video is a powerful advocacy tool that raises awareness about the challenges faced by women in vulnerable communities due to climate change,” the Laadli Award citation on the video says.
