UNFPA to champion the girl child at AdAsia 2011

AdAsia 2011 has announced an interesting element in its four-day long agenda. The congress plans to devote its attention to the pressing issue of the girl child.

The authorities plan to do so through a special presentation dedicated to the cause. The session titled 'The Female Equation: Communicating with Conscience', will be conducted by Frederika Meijer, representative, India and country director, Bhutan, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund).

Addressing this announcement, Madhukar Kamath, chairman, organising committee, AdAsia 2011, says in an official communiqué, "Championing the girl child in a landmark congress like this is one way of showing the world that the advertising, marketing and media industry has its heart in the right place."

The session will address the following questions: Is this largely a perception issue? Can the right kind of communication get Indians to shift their perceptions and change their beliefs?

The conference will also attempt to set in motion a thought process that may eventually provide creative solutions to this glaring problem.

AdAsia 2011, to be held in New Delhi from October 31 to November 3, will witness around 45 speakers. Around eight speakers will be from India, while others will be from across the globe, sharing knowledge and insights, spread over 20 sessions. The theme of AdAsia 2011 is 'Uncertainty: The New Certainty'.

For the record, the UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. It urges countries to use population data for policies and programmes in order to reduce poverty, and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. It also offers high-quality services within a comprehensive reproductive healthcare system to India.