IMAGES AND ICONS: Harnessing the Power of Mass Media to Promote Gender Equality and Reduce Practices of Sex Selection Farah Naqvi A Delhi BBC World Haryana Service Trust Feasibility Punjab Study Rajasthan BIBLIOGRAPHY IMAGES AND ICONS: Harnessing the Power of Mass Media to Promote Gender Equality and Reduce Practices of Sex Selection A BBC World Service Trust Feasibility Study Four Target States Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan 71 CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND TO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY Feasibility Study Lead Consultant: Farah Naqvi Report Written by Farah Naqvi Edited by Yvonne MacPherson The BBC World Service Trust works with people in developing and transitional countries to improve the quality of their lives through the innovative use of the media. The feasibility study was funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. BBC World Service Trust, India E-21 Hauz Khas Market New Delhi 110 016, India Telephone: +91 (11) 4259 1200 Fax: +91 (11) 4259 1277 Email: [email protected] Internet site: www.bbcworldservicetrust.org September 2006 • BBC World Service Trust • All rights reserved. 72 BACKGROUND TO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY CHAPTER 1 Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................. iv Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................vii 1. Background to the Feasibility Study ...............................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background: The BBC World Service Trust ............................................................................... 3 1.3 Justification and Objectives of the Feasibility Study .......................................................... 3 1.4 Dilemmas of a Messaging Strategy ............................................................................................ 4 1.5 Approach and Methodology of the Feasibility Study ........................................................ 5 1.5.1 Determining the Target Group ....................................................................................... 6 1.5.2 Primary Research: Objectives and Design ................................................................. 7 1.5.2.1 Sample selection and size .............................................................................. 8 2. Practices of Sex Selection in India: An Overview................................................................... 10 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Reasons for the Spread of Sex selection............................................................................... 10 2.2.1 Son preference .................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 The two child norm and the decline in fertility ................................................. 12 2.2.3 The availability of technology...................................................................................... 12 2.3 Who Decides? .................................................................................................................................... 12 2.4 The Law ............................................................................................................................................... 15 3. Using Mass Media to Reduce Sex Selection: An Evaluation of Messages ................................................................................................................. 17 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 17 3.2 Government Mass Media Outputs ............................................................................................ 18 3.3 Private Productions: TV Drama Serials .................................................................................... 19 3.4 Private Productions: Feature Films ............................................................................................ 21 73 BIBLIOGRAPHY 3.5 NGO Communication Material ...................................................................................................21 3.6 Evaluation of Communication Messages ............................................................................... 22 3.7 Conclusion: Does the issue of sex selection lend itself to mass media messaging? .......................................................................................................................................... 24 4. Towards a Mass Media Campaign: Analysing the relationship between target audiences and mass media ................................................................................................. 26 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 26 4.2 Media Habits in the Target States ............................................................................................26 4.2.1 Television ............................................................................................................................ 26 4.2.2 Print ............................................................................................................................ 28 4.2.3 Radio ............................................................................................................................ 29 4.3 Reaching Rajasthan.......................................................................................................................... 29 4.4 Relationship between Target Audiences and Mass Media ........................................... 29 4.4.1 Women and television ..................................................................................................... 30 4.4.2 Men and television............................................................................................................ 31 4.4.3 The Saas-Bahu serials ....................................................................................................... 32 4.4.4 Television and social messaging ................................................................................. 35 4.4.5 Relationship with other mass media: radio and print ...................................... 35 4.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 35 5. Knowledge and Attitudes to Abortion and Sex Selection .................................... 37 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 37 5.2 Reproductive Rights ........................................................................................................................ 37 5.3 Abortion ............................................................................................................................ 38 5.4 Sex Selection ............................................................................................................................ 39 5.5 Women’s Health ............................................................................................................................ 40 5.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 41 6. Impact of Social Change: Unravelling and Challenging Attitudes that Fuel Sex Selection ......................................................................................................................... 42 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 42 6.2 Profile of a Sex Selective Abortion Seeker ........................................................................... 43 6.3 Men’s Attitudes to Women in the Context of Social Change...................................... 44 6.4 Women’s Aspirations and Anxieties in the Context of Social Change .................... 50 6.5 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 53 6.6 Why Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan) is Different? .............................................................................. 56 74 BIBLIOGRAPHY 7. Recommendations .................................................................................................................................... 58 7.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 58 7.2 The Primary Target Audience: The Service Recipient ...................................................... 58 7.3 The Secondary Target Audience: The Environment.......................................................... 59 7.4 Messages ............................................................................................................................................. 60 7.4.1 Message Group A: Filling the knowledge gaps ..................................................