Patriot’s Mohd Shehwaaz Khan wins Laadli Media Award

In a remarkable recognition of outstanding journalism, Mohd Shehwaaz Khan from Patriot was honoured with the prestigious Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity 2023. Khan’s impactful story titled “If it’s a man’s world, why not dress as one to survive?” secured the coveted Best Feature Story award in the Print-Feature-English category (Northern Region).

Published in June 2022, Khan’s story delves into the inspiring journey of Nusrat Jahan, a resilient woman from Delhi. Born into a family of 11 children, Nusrat took on the appearance of a man at the age of 16, facing the challenges of a patriarchal society head-on to ensure her family’s survival.

The Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity (LMAAGS), organised by Laadli, the media advocacy campaign of Population First, have been recognising gender-sensitive journalism since 2007. Supported by UNFPA and Jaipur-based media advocacy organisation Lok Samvad Sansthan, these awards commend journalists who bring attention to crucial gender-related issues.

A total of 87 winners and 31 jury appreciation awards out of a total of 857 entries in 13 languages were announced at the awards ceremony held at Rajasthan International Centre. This was the 13th edition of awards, where Khan was felicitated on October 21 and was broadcast live on YouTube, celebrating the exceptional work of individuals championing gender sensitivity in media.

In 2022, two reporters from Patriot were honored with the Laadli Media Awards Regional for promoting good journalism.