Venturing into the world of ground reports

My Ground Reporting Dream to Three Significant groups!

- By Sarah Khan

Women are one of the most discriminated yet almost 50% population in the world. And when it comes to women in rural areas, they're the most marginalised ones and their voices are unheard by the mainstream. Dalit women suffer prejudice on the basis of both their gender and caste. For them, misogyny and casteism goes hand in hand. 

So, I'd choose to do ground reporting of women from rural areas who are deprived of basic education and resources. This could aware us about their challenges and how they can be resolved. It would shed light upon their struggle and provide them media attention giving them a voice for change. RUral women are often underrepresented by the mainstream and public discourse. They need a platform for their perspectives to be heard and promote their empowrrment.

Secondly, I'd choose to address the Dalits, specifically Dalit women. Dalits are often neglected by the mainstream. They are subjected to discrimination and injustices in various aspects of life. Upper caste people receive awards and accolades for covering Dalit issues but Dalits are ostracised for the same. Dalits are research projects, never researchers; specimens, never scientists; they're news strories, never journalists; identities, not humans for the society. One in every five Dalit women is sexually harassed in her lifetime according to statistics report. Hence, by amplifying their voices as allies we can create a more inclusive and equutable society for all. 

My third subject on ground report would be on pasmanda muslims as it constitutes a significant proprtion of muslim populatio yet have been one of the most marginalised and underrepresented in mainstream. Pasmanda muslims are those muslims who belong to lower socio economic backgrounds and considered of lower caste. Although, Islam itself rejects caste system, pasmanda muslims have been discriminated by elite muslims and other religions alltogether. The media focuses upon elite muslims though rarely, but they don't show stories of pasmandas. Pasmandas have experiences different from that of elite or upper caste muslims and reporting them will shed light upon their issues or social justice, discrimination and inequality.

Reporting on these three subjects will give me an opportunity to raise awareness and promote change for a greater social justice and equality for all.