Education Minister sees need of increasing presence of women journalists

Kathmandu- Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Bidhya Bhattarai, underlined the importance of achieving 33 percent women’s participation in media.

Speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day seminar aimed at enhancing the capacity of women journalists associated with the political beat, the Minister expressed concern over the low representation of women in Nepali media. She stressed the need to support women journalists and promote the use of technology in media.

Canada’s non-resident Ambassador to Nepal, Cameron Dean MacKay, highlighted the role of women journalists in Nepal in advancing social justice, stating that in Canada, women journalists constitute 52 percent of the media workforce. Balkrishna Basnet, Chairperson of Press Council Nepal, echoed the importance of retaining women journalists, citing studies that show their significant contribution to producing credible content, especially in political affairs.

He assured support from the Council for enhancing the capacity of women journalists. Bipul Pokhrel, Chairperson of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), stressed the necessity of ensuring women’s effective presence in political media coverage, urging media houses to adopt suitable policies accordingly.

Sangita Khadka, Chairperson of the Minimum Wages Fixation Committee, acknowledged the challenges faced by women journalists in political reporting but praised their competence in the field. She urged media houses to actively promote women journalists in political reporting and formulate policies to support them. Anita Bindu, Chair of the Media Advisory Group (MAG), stated that the seminar aimed to inspire and empower women journalists covering political affairs.

According to FNJ data, women journalists currently constitute 18 percent of the workforce.