International Women's day and Media

International Women's Day (March 8 ) is the ideal time to challenge the mindset of media on issues related to women’s rights thinking. We cannot let another International Women's Day come and go without understanding that women's freedom, economic and social inequality kills young girls and women.

International Women’s Day marks an urgent occasion to mobilize national governments and international gencies to do what is smart and what is right for women media personnel.

Women journalists face enormous problems of discrimination and danger that undermines their role in edia, in spite of increasing numbers of women in the newsroom", says International Federation of Journalists ( IFJ)—an umbrella organisation of professional media groups in over 110 countries of the world-- in a statement issued to mark the International Women's Day. "This must change. First, women must have better access to leadershippositions, both at their workplace and within their unions. Second,there must be a systematic change in the culture of employment andrewards in media to eliminate all forms of discrimination. It is timefor equality in pay, jobs and opportunities" the IFJ said.

Around the world the struggle for equality in media is a constantbattle for recognition of women's rights. The issue is always therewhether it is in discrimination over jobs and pay or in the diet ofsexist and titillating journalism that still contributes to thedifficulties faced by women in all sections of society.
A detailed survey presented to the International Federation of Journalists’ 24th World Congress in Seoul, South Korea, recently revealed that despite the fact women comprise at least 38 per cent of theworkforce in journalism, less than one per cent of media executiveposts are held by women. The list of obstacles is long and it is thesame, whether drawn up by women journalists in Asia, the Pacific,Latin America, Africa or Europe.

It is true, the International Women’s day is quite significant in thesense that it calls for all the concerned agencies and individuals tocontribute to the empowerment of women.

Another common feature of media's presentation of women is their objectification of women as entertainment fixtures or sex symbols. The women movie artists are attacked with vulgar language and crudecomments about their personal traits or physical appearance in thegossip columns.

In Nepal, the mainstream media has paid little interest on women'sissues. The media does not seem to be giving adequate attention to important issues that concern women.

One of the main reasons for limited involvement of women in the pressand in the field of writing may be their isolation from exposure and exchange of ideas with the outside world. The history of print media in Nepal is no longer than 100 years. The first newspaper of the country , Gorkhapatra, a Nepali-language daily was published from a mono type press over 98 years ago. Radio Nepal as the first electronic media started from 1950. Since then Nepali media has experienced a slow metamorphosis to come to the current state. Today, more than hundred of newspaper andmagazines and a total of seven electronic media are in operation. Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) is one sole news agency.
Women's participation in mass media begun as early as 45 years ago,thenceforth different women personalities are persevering toraise women’s cause in the media almost on a regular basis.

Now the question is why so many programmes transmitted through the electronic media have also contributed towards creating negative image of the women?
Hundreds of women in Nepal have been murdered because of dowry. Several women have been accused on charge of practising witchcraft. But such events are limited only to a piece of news, why?. Why are women journalists still identifying stereotyped attitudes,unfair treatment, harassment and job insecurity assome of the reasons that prompt them to give up the profession?

The media should give importance to such subject matters, which inform the women of the socio-political context of the country with particular focus on women's issues, their contemporary problems and necessities. The media should inspire all to make opinions and decisions on development, human rights, women's rights and women'splace in a society.

Media's role is not just to report to society but to challenge the society on things, which have been wrong as well as to set agenda. The lack of women's voices and limited portrayal of their roles in the media may soon change if a new plan to correct those anomalies is implemented.

There is a code of conduct for the journalists that they should not publish anything, which degrade the weaker sections of the society.

This code of conduct is forgotten very often while writing on women'sissues. The media should improve its own restrictions and standards on items, which humiliate and discriminate against women.

Reffered Page
Kamala Sarup
Peacejournalism.com