Campaign on Media Literacy for Women, Asmita Women's Publishing House, Kathmandu, Nepal

by Gisèle Langendries

Nepali media rights advocates learn how news stories are produced.

Despite a growing commitment to the promotion of gender equality in Nepal since the 1980's, women's access to media remains severely limited and representation of women in the media continues to perpetuate negative and degrading stereotypes. But Nepalese editors, producers, and journalists are now feeling the impact of a 2005 campaign organized by a Nepali women's media advocacy group. Women's access to the media has improved and media content better reflects the complex realities of Nepalese women's lives, says a report recently submitted to the project's funder, the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).

Media literacy workshops organized in October 2005 in the eastern district of Morang and in western Rupandehi by Asmita - a Nepali women's organization using media to advocate for women's rights – trained women in media awareness and media monitoring, based on a specially-developed media literacy package for monitoring from a gender perspective. Campaign objectives were to raise awareness among women about their potential to bring changes in their lives, to develop a good rapport between women and the media, and to encourage women to establish their own media.

The campaign was successful in creating a critical mass of Nepalese women who have an understanding of gender and media issues and have the skills to monitor the media. Following the workshop, the women monitored the media and prepared monthly reports of the results. Subsequent interaction programmes with media producers and women participants resulted in the formation of women's media clubs. Major changes were noted in some media when critical letters sent to various media groups by women participants were published in newspapers. The changes included an increase in the number of editorials and opinion articles on women's issues written by women appearing in the print media.