On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, well-known TV
host, writer, singer, journalist and radio jockey, Swapna Ashok came to
Mayabazar, Annapurna College campus for a
very engaging, interactive and lively session, which was held exclusively for
women.
Currently
managing editor of Telugu news channel Sakshi TV she started her career in
TV anchoring with TV9 (Telugu) and has done popular shows like Shara Maamule. She later moved to radio as the
regional programming head of BIG FM 92.7 and hosted interview shows
including Dil Se and Close Encounters. She comes from a family who have
coincidentally been associated with radio; her mother Jyotsna was a FM radio
presenter known for popular programme JAPA 4 and her maternal grandmother was
Radio Bhanumati of All India Radio, Chennai fame.
Starting off on a high note she posed a question to all the women
audience and asked ‘what does Women’s Day means to you’. Answers from the
students and staff, ranged from been given the freedom to make their choices in
life to taking their own decisions. Talking about her experiences of working in
the media industry, she said that “Media is responsible for the influence it
can impart to the society at large as we are in a sensitive profession” and
went on to speak about the role of media in shaping society.
To the question ‘What is empowerment to you?’, some of
the students raised valuable concerns that they face while been part of society
at large and noted that change should start at the grass root level to
make a difference. “Creative when rearranged is reactive and we need to
think of different and creative ways to deal with various scenarios,” she said
and added that “If you want to do something or bring about a change, do it for
yourself but don’t do it to prove a point to others.”
The session ended on a charged note where a select few voiced
their opinion about the need of the hour and what message needs to be conveyed.
“Respect individuality”, “Teach boys from childhood about how to respect
women”, “Teach girls to be strong and empowered” were a few of the messages
that struck a chord. Swapna concluded the session with the message that self
awareness is required for women to be empowered and said “You define, you
decide, you choose!”
