The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), in collaboration with UNICEF, is set to host a knowledge session on Gender Sensitization in Advertising and Media at Goafest 2024. Scheduled for May 30 at 10:15 am at the Westin Mumbai Powai Lake, the session will focus on the theme ‘Gender-Sensitive Marketing: Navigating the New Consumer Landscape’. Industry leaders will discuss the importance of dismantling stereotypes and promoting diverse and inclusive gender representation in advertising and media.
Goafest, India’s largest advertising festival, co-hosted by the Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club, aligns this session with its overarching theme “The Age of Adaptability”. The event will explore how evolving consumer mindsets intersect with the need for a gender-positive approach in advertising communications.
The panel discussion will feature industry veterans including Rajdeepak Das (CCO, Publicis Groupe SA), Chandni Shah (COO, FCB Kinnect), Ram Madhvani (Ad and film director/producer), Darshana Shah (Head of Marketing & Customer Experience, Aditya Birla Capital), and Kailashnath Adhikari (Business Head, Sri Adhikari Brothers Group). The session will be moderated by Kranti Gada (Managing Committee Member, IAA India Chapter & Founder of Neown.in).
Avinash Pandey, President of the IAA India Chapter, emphasized the IAA’s commitment to promoting diverse and inclusive gender portrayal in advertising and communication. “The IAA: Voice of Change movement creates awareness and empowers industry stakeholders on inclusive gender representation. We are honored to collaborate with Goafest 2024, where visionary personalities will unite to drive this crucial initiative,” he said.
Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Chairperson of the IAA Women Empowerment Committee, highlighted the industry’s role in shaping societal perceptions and breaking biases. She stated, “The IAA Voice of Change knowledge session at Goafest 2024 will empower content creators towards a more progressive and inclusive gender portrayal in content across the spectrum.”
Megha Tata, Immediate Past President of the IAA India Chapter and Co-Chair of the IAA Women Empowerment Committee, reflected on the journey of the IAA VOC initiative. “It has grown to become a movement, and seeing key industry stakeholders actively participating in this dialogue makes me hopeful about the real impact this can have on our social fabric,” she added.
The Voice of Change initiative, launched by the IAA with UNICEF as a knowledge partner, focuses on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity. It began as a behavior change communication initiative to address skewed gender portrayals in advertising and has become a definitive forum for sensitizing the Indian advertising and media industry. Through summits, conferences, and workshops, IAA continues to drive significant change in equitable and inclusive gender depiction across all media formats.