We are happy to share Shobana Radhakrishnan from our team was shortlisted for the Media Foundation‘s Kamla Mankekar Award for Journalism on Gender, 2024. The award, in honour and memory of Kamla Mankekar, a pioneering journalist of Independent India who had a lifelong commitment to gender equality, is in recognition of journalism through the lens of gender to bring into spotlight India’s social, economic, cultural and political issues.
Shobana’s nomination for the award has been in recognition of a 4-part series on domestic violence on women in the wake of state-led unplanned evictions.
About the project
The series is a thread that ties the various stories from the people impacted by domestic violence due to loss of livelihood as a result of unplanned eviction, to how the community workers, being the first respondents, bear the brunt and the limited impact of the skill development programs which could have been a solution to the issue. It looks at the larger picture from multiple perspectives.
The stories illustrate Shobana’s deep connection to the communities she writes about. Her stories create an impact on readers, highlighting the need for justice for the survivors, for the emotional turmoil and the livelihood disruption and destruction.
The journey to understanding and reporting these complex issues took over two years of sustained engagement with the affected communities, time, effort, and patience. Shobana firmly believes this not only provides the depth needed to explore critical issues but also holds the potential to drive real-time change.
The four-part series was a 10-month-long project. Shobana, along with editor Sahana Charan and the Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) organised two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) – the first was with the affected community in Perumbakkam and Semmencherry and the other was with the community workers. This helped us understand the depth of the issues.
Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya, Managing Editor, guided Shobana throughout the series and Sahana Charan edited all four parts.
Impact on the ground
Shobana has actively ensured that the issues covered reach those in power, pushing for accountability and change. The findings on the links between evictions and domestic violence were shared with Dr Thamizhachi Thangapandian, the Member of Parliament for Chennai South, and the District Social Welfare Department and have followed up consistently with the concerned departments to ensure that the needs of the displaced communities are addressed.
One key demand from the community, highlighted in her reporting, was the establishment of a ‘One Stop Centre’ in Perumbakkam, one of the resettlement areas. This centre would allow women facing domestic violence to access support without the burden of travelling 30 kilometres to the city or neighbouring districts. In February 2025, four months after the final part of the series was published, the government established the One Stop Centre in Perumbakkam. While concerns about the functionality of such centres persist nationwide, this development marks a crucial step towards providing accessible support for the women who need it most.
Shobana Radhakrishnan continues to follow the impact of development on vulnerable communities and ensures a multidisciplinary approach towards understanding systemic issues and finding ways forward.