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UNICEF gives recognition to HP IAS officer’s efforts on gender sensitivity

Himachal Pradesh Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Manasai Sahay short film ‘Muskan’ has found mention in the UNICEF’s Regional Office…

UNICEF gives recognition to HP IAS officer’s efforts on gender sensitivity

Manasai Sahay (Photo: SNS)

Himachal Pradesh Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Manasai Sahay short film ‘Muskan’ has found mention in the UNICEF’s Regional Office of South Asia (ROSA) gender newsletter that is sensitive to gender equality and rights.

UNICEF hails the video as an effort of Directorate of Women and Child Development Himachal Pradesh, to address the social issues around female foeticide and to provide awareness to young people around the issue of son preference and gender inequalities.

The short film on gender equality with special emphasis on female foeticide is part of the initiative of Manasi Sahay, as the then Deputy Commissioner of Bilaspur in 2015 under the ‘Muskan’ project along with the then DC Hamirpur Rohan Chand Thakur that involved a case study on improving Sex ratio at birth in the districts of Hamirpur and Bilaspur of HP.

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During the project, when it was started Manasi noticed that the main hurdle was to get people talking about this burning issue and to admit vocally that indeed it is a major social issue.

People refrained from even discussing the issue, she said, adding that emphasis was laid on bringing about a mindset change by getting people to talk on the issue and need was felt to evolve such a system going beyond the conventional approach of seminars and workshops that were being conducted.

“A vedio “The Silent Scream” available on Youtube was used by us (dubbed in Hindi) as much as it was used as part of the anti-abortion campaign in America in the mid 80’s”, she said.

This also led to the conceptualisation of the short animation film ‘Muskan’ to reach out to the target audience of all ages, especially focusing on catching the audience young, said Manasi.

The film was accomplished in 2017 and was uploaded on Youtube by Women Child and Development of HP on 19 March, 2017. It has so far garnered 43,000 views. Also, uploaded by Ministry of Women and child development has witnessed 9843 views.

The vedio is also streaming on the Press Information Bureau (PIB) India Youtube channel of Ministry of Information and Broad Casting that has garnered 7.36 lakh views so far.

Manasi Sahay said, “I feel satisfied with the appreciation by UNICEF, which has indeed come as a surprise, however, at the same time I feel that the potential has not reached the masses. The complete objective is still unrealised.”

The film has been produced in partnership with ACC under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

 

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