Excelsior Correspondent
![Chetna Verma receiving Best Op-ed Award from Chattisgarh CM Raman Singh.](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/page5-62-300x200.jpg)
JAMMU, Feb 8: To salute the work of media persons committed to work on gender issues, Population First and UNFPA announced the winners of the sixth edition of The Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity (Northern Region) 2013-14 in a function organized at Muktakash Manch, Mahant Ghasidas Museum Campus, Raipur, Chattisgarh.
Chetna Verma who works for the non-profit Charkha Development Communication Network was awarded among others for Best Op-ed in print category.
The awards were given away by Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh, who was chief guest on the occasion and Shatabdi Pandey, Chairperson, Child Rights Protection Commission, Chhattisgarh. The Awards event has been supported by Directorate of Culture and Archaeology, Chhattisgarh.
The jury, which included highly esteemed members of the media, selected the 19 winners from 293 entries received from Northern Region, namely Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The problems faced by women in conflict areas often remain unexplored in the mainstream media. Chetna Verma’s editorial ‘Women in Conflict’ published in J&K’s leading newspaper Daily Excelsior focuses on the positive stories of women who are valiantly fighting against denial and deprivation that they constantly face in a conflict situation—be it war, militancy or naxalism.
Covering a wide and contrasting geographic area spanning from tribal belt of Chhattisgarh to Jammu and Kashmir, Chetna highlights the struggles and victories of women who are not just victims of political conflict but also the social conflict of discrimination and violence.
Dr AL Sharada, Director of Population First, said that Population First would be organizing many more workshops, consultations and training programmes in the year 2015 to take the movement forward.