Fri Jan 03 19:49:45 UTC 2025: ## MSSRF Media Fellows Highlight Gendered Impact of Water Insecurity in India

**Chennai, January 4, 2025** – Three young journalists, part of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation’s (MSSRF) Mina Swaminathan Media Fellowship, presented compelling stories highlighting the disproportionate impact of water insecurity on women across India. The Fellows, selected from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Odisha, shared their findings at an event on Friday.

Indu Gunasekar detailed the struggles faced by women in Ramanathapuram and indigenous tribes in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. Shafeeq Thamarassery (Kerala) and Shatarupa Samantaraya (Odisha) presented similar accounts from their respective states, illustrating the widespread issue.

The fellowship, launched in 2021, aims to empower young journalists to investigate the intersection of science and society. Rengalakshmi, Executive Director of Area Operations at MSSRF, emphasized the Fellows’ role in bringing to light the often-overlooked challenges faced by communities.

P. Sainath, Founder-Editor of the People’s Archive of Rural India, praised the Fellows for their impactful storytelling, focusing on individual experiences to highlight broader societal problems. Nitya Rao, a Gender and Development professor at the University of East Anglia, lauded their contribution to grassroots change. Independent journalist Aparna Karthikeyan noted that the Fellows’ work uncovered stories largely ignored by mainstream media.

Policy briefs summarizing the Fellows’ findings will be available on the MSSRF website.

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