Manga Comics for Social Ch
3 min readNew Delhi, fifteenth April 2024: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has introduced that Kodansha, Ltd. is publishing a comic book titled “India Calling Me Now,” geared toward elevating gender consciousness in India, in collaboration with JICA on the “SDGs Business Verification Survey with the Private Sector for Spreading Japanese Comics Empowering Women in India.” Utilizing manga, a cultural asset of Japan that consists of comedian books with a singular model of drawing characters, the initiative addresses problems with gender inequality and encourages constructive societal shifts within the society. The collaborative publishing of Manga in Japan and India is a world-first initiative, anticipated to advertise cultural trade and mutual understanding between the 2 nations whereas strengthening worldwide solidarity in attaining gender equality. It’s printed on Manga Planet India, managed by FANTASISTA, INC and Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
Scheduled for launch in each Japan and India, the comedian collection will cowl themes resembling ladies’s training, social participation, and gender disparity, to advertise dialogue and enhance comprehension of gender-related issues.
This public-private partnership, extending from the analysis stage of a enterprise thought to its commercialization, acknowledges the importance of gender equality in India. JICA has prioritized the effectiveness of awareness-raising actions, that includes relatable tales for younger individuals in India together with illustrations conveying information about gender equality. Through the fusion of leisure and social relevance, the challenge goals to provoke behaviour change, notably among the many youthful technology.
Mr. SAITO Mitsunori, Chief Representative of JICA India mentioned, “The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for gender equality, goals to empower all ladies and ladies. We perceive that gender equality is not only a aim however a basis of a good society, and we’re happy to launch this initiative as a part of JICA’s dedication to selling ladies’s empowerment in India. As the collaborative publishers of Manga, a cherished cultural asset of Japan famend for its charming storytelling and creative aptitude, we intention to allow additional consciousness and understanding of gender-related points in India. This collaboration additionally performs an instrumental position in selling cultural trade between India and Japan to carry a systemic change in attaining gender equality.”-
Mr. KOGA Yoshiaki, India Project Director, Kodansha, mentioned, “This manga is a collaborative challenge with JICA, born out of a need to help ladies in India. With the intention of reaching Indian readers rapidly, it is going to be the primary manga in historical past to be launched concurrently in Japan and India. We intention to deal with social points in India and around the globe by Japanese manga.”
Engaging by Manga, the ‘India Calling Me Now‘ comedian collection goals to captivate the younger technology with its distinctive strategy of charming storytelling and expressive characters. It serves as an efficient instrument to encourage constructive attitudes and behaviours in the direction of gender bias, thereby rising consciousness and initiating societal change.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) stays dedicated to selling gender equality and empowerment by numerous cooperation tasks, together with monetary entry, agriculture, forestry, well being, and concrete growth, to call a couple of. These tasks intention to empower ladies and ladies by offering alternatives for them to pursue their aspirations and contribute to their communities. Also, by integrating the views and desires of all genders into the planning processes of growth tasks, JICA facilitates the creation of extra inclusive and equitable society, whereby ladies and ladies have enhanced entry to important providers and financial alternatives.
Mansi Praharaj