Challenging Gender Norms in Caregiving Through Culture and Media
The Daughter Forever campaign was launched in August 2018 by Pranay Manjari Samal to question the societal belief that only sons are responsible for the care of ageing parents. While the Senior Citizens’ Maintenance Act clearly states that all children—regardless of gender—are responsible for their parents’ care, this right is often denied to daughters after marriage. The campaign sought to spark conversation on this issue, which is deeply cultural and rarely acknowledged in mainstream discourse.
The choice to engage with ICICI Prudential was intentional, as the campaign aimed to influence mass communication platforms that shape public narratives. A virtual call was held with their Vice President of Marketing, who acknowledged the issue but shared that the company could not commit to making a commercial specifically on this theme. However, soon after, ICICI Prudential released a commercial featuring a daughter requesting her husband’s support to care for her father—ironically reinforcing the campaign’s central point: that daughters often need permission to fulfil a responsibility that should already be theirs.
To take the conversation further, Pranay and the campaign team produced a documentary film titled She is Married, Not Dead, which was screened at virtual festivals and received heartfelt responses from viewers. The overwhelming feedback from petition signers—many of whom shared their own stories—reinforced the need for this dialogue to continue.
Over the last few years, the campaign has:
Garnered over 66,000 signatures on Change.org.
Inspired the production of three commercials by ICICI Group, reflecting gender in caregiving, even if not directly attributed.
Led to multiple tweetathons, virtual screenings, and wide media coverage across platforms like LiveMint, Youth Ki Awaaz, Feminism in India, and Women’s Web.
Built a volunteer network of over 50 individuals, and gave rise to related efforts such as the Commercials for Change campaign and engagement with the Advertising Council of India.
The Daughter Forever campaign continues to challenge silence around daughters’ roles in caregiving and brings visibility to the many women who quietly care for their parents while navigating resistance from both family and society.
