Mumbai: On International Women’s Day, Navbharat Times, one of India’s leading Hindi dailies, in collaboration with FCB Ulka, has unveiled ‘Barabari Ki Bhasha’, an initiative that aims to make the Hindi language more inclusive and gender-equal.
For centuries, Hindi has been a gendered language, with female-gendered words missing from many professions and achievements, particularly in fields like STEM, politics, sports, and entrepreneurship. This campaign seeks to bridge that gap by introducing new words, ensuring that language no longer limits aspirations.
Research indicates that representation in language impacts participation in society. The absence of feminine equivalents for professions often discourages women from pursuing careers in these fields, reinforcing gender disparities. ‘Barabari Ki Bhasha’ aims to reshape mindsets by rewriting Hindi, ensuring that young girls have the words to dream, aspire, and achieve.
Partha Sinha, President & Chief Brand Officer at The Times of India Group, emphasized, “The first step to read a culture has always been its language. And with a gendered language, some inclusiveness always gets left out. We think the time has come for languages to reflect the true desire and aspiration of a society. That’s the genesis of ‘Barabari ki Bhasha’. A cultural movement starts from the language, and this is our step forward to bring in a change at a fundamental level.”
Hemant Shringy, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka, added, “‘Barabari Ki Bhasha’ is more than just a campaign—it’s a movement. Language shapes how we think, and by introducing these new words, we take a meaningful step toward true equality. Every girl deserves to see herself represented in the words we use daily. I hope this initiative sparks conversations and brings lasting change.”
The campaign will begin with print media and expand into digital platforms and other media channels, ensuring a widespread impact.
Credit List
Brand: Navbharat Times
Agency: FCB Ulka
Group Chief Executive Officer, FCB Group India and South Asia: Dheeraj Sinha
Chief Executive Officer: Kulvinder Ahluwalia
Chief Creative Officer: Hemant Shringy
President and Head of Office: Vandana Joshi
Executive Creative Director & Head of Design: Sonam Gautam
Executive Creative Director: Vishal Nicholas
Account Management Team: Nivedita Lahiri
Creative Team: Onkar Mhaskar, , Arijit Banerjee, Lay Shah, Khushi Bagri, Parth Pandya, Saahil Desai
Art Team: Rahul Suram, Avinash Murchawade, Paresh Jadhav, Pranav Pawaskar, Forum Parikh, Naomi Creado
