Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has said gender sensitisation of the male child at home and school is as important as empowerment of the female child.
Javadekar, who was speaking yesterday after giving away the Excellence in Journalism Award for 2014, instituted by the International Press Institute India Chapter, to 'Hindustan Times' and 'The Week', said sensitive reporting by the media on gender issues is also a major contributory factor for female empowerment.
The 'Hindustan Times' was selected for the award for its campaign against acid attacks on women, and 'The Week' for its article on the plight of widows of a border village in the Kashmir Valley, caught in the conflict.
Former Chief Justice of India Justice A S Anand headed the jury that picked the winners, while the other members included chairman of IPI-India and Director of 'The Hindu' N Ravi, and M K Razdan, Editor-in-Chief of Press Trust of India.
The award comprises a cash prize of Rs two lakhs, a trophy and a citation.
Sanjoy Narayan, Editor-in-Chief of 'The Hindustan Times' received the award for Hindustan Times, and Tariq Bhatt, senior special correspondent and Arvind Jain, chief photographer received the award for 'The Week'.
Philip Mathew, Fellow of the Vienna-based IPI and Managing Editor of The Malayala Manorama presided over the function that was attended by senior members of the media fraternity and political leaders.
N Ravi, chairman of the Indian Chapter of IPI, welcomed the guests and said IPI India had instituted the annual award in 2003 to recognise and honour the best work done by an Indian media organisation or journalist working in print, radio, television and Internet mediums, in furtherance of public interest, including safeguarding of freedom of the press and other freedoms such as human rights.
The IPI-India is an active forum of editors, publishers and senior executives of newspapers, magazines and news agencies, all of whom are members of the International Press Institute, which formed 60 years ago in New York by a group of editors from 15 countries.
