Gender Portrayal in Advertising Round table event in collaboration with Manifest Media

Manifest hosted a panel discussion in partnership with UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and Population First (Laadli), bringing together key stakeholders from the advertising and marketing industry to explore the role of advertising in shaping positive gender portrayal in society. Moderated by Anupama Sajeet, Features Editor, Manifest, the panel featured Aahana Kumra, Actor and Founder, Working Panda Films; Afshan Hussain Shaikh, Founder and Director, Not Bad Films; Amitesh Rao, CEO – South Asia, Leo (Publicis Health and Publicis Business); Anindya Banerjee, Executive Creative Director, Medulla Communications; Anuja Gulati, UNFPA; Anupama Ahluwalia, Co-founder and Executive Producer, ZigZag Films; Dr. A. L. Sharada, Former Director, Population First; Harshada Menon, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy; Kopal Naithani, Founder and Director, Superfly Films; K. V. Sridhar, Chief Creative Officer, Nihilent and Founder, HyperCollective; Ramesh Narayan, Founder, Canco Advertising and recipient of the IAA’s ‘Gender Warrior’ Award; Sonal Batra, Ad Film Director; and Tara Kapur, Director – Marketing, DET Global. The panel was unequivocal in its views: while progress is visible, it is not yet structural. The industry has moved from overt stereotypes in advertising to more nuanced storytelling; however, it continues to grapple with inconsistencies, blind spots, and, at times, convenience-driven choices. A key collective takeaway was that inclusive representation cannot remain merely a creative choice—it must become a systemic default. Ultimately, advertising and media play a powerful role in shaping culture.