Women's representation in journalism must be increased

Media is undergoing continuous change and media outlets are shifting towards digital transformation. It is crucial at this juncture to increase representation of women journalists. Media organisations should appoint women in greater numbers to ensure they can contribute tangibly to journalism.

These issues were discussed during a courtesy visit on Monday by three visiting female journalists from Nepal to the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka. The Nepali journalists inquired about the current state and challenges of Bangladesh’s media landscape.

They expressed their admiration about Prothom Alo's commitment to objective reporting, its trust among readers, international awards, and its social initiatives through Prothom Alo Trust and Bondhushava, as well as its support for underprivileged talented students, its OTT platform Chorki, and various supplements.

They were particularly impressed by Prothom Alo's documentary on Bangladesh’s women's football team winning the SAFF Women's Championship in 2022, defeating Nepal for the first time.

The visiting Nepali journalists included Laxmi Bhandari, senior assistant editor of Kantipur Media Group's women's magazine; Shiksha Sharma, senior news editor of Nepal Television; and Kabita Adhikari, editor-in-chief of Surya Press.

Representing Prothom Alo at the meeting with the Nepali journalists were executive editor Sajjad Sharif, associate editor Sumana Sharmin, head of English web Ayesha Kabir, special correspondent Raheed Ejaz, along with several female journalists from different departments.

Discussing women's participation in journalism, the Nepali journalists shared that in Nepal, women journalists do not always enjoy the same advantages as men. There are salary disparities, and women are fewer in number.

They said that during meetings with Bangladeshi women journalists in Dhaka, they learned that similar challenges exist in Bangladesh. They questioned whether media organisations here are reluctant to hire more women and sought to understand the reasons behind it.

The Nepali journalists also wanted to know the key factors that have contributed to Prothom Alo's long-standing success in journalism.

In response, Prothom Alo's executive editor Sajjad Sharif said the newspaper maintains professional, objective journalism centered on the public. Reader trust is Prothom Alo's greatest strength. For 26 years, it has remained a trusted name.

While the print market is contracting, Prothom Alo is aligning itself with the times through digital transformation, he added.

Regarding women's representation, he stated that women are present in all departments of the newsroom, but numerically it is still not satisfactory. Prothom Alo is committed to increasing women's representation further.

Nepali journalist Laxmi Bhandari noted that Nepal's media market is smaller than Bangladesh’s, with a lower population.

Regarding women journalists, she said that various institutions in Nepal follow a policy of maintaining 33 per cent female representation, and the media sector is also adopting this target.

The number of women in journalism is gradually increasing, but more progress is needed, Laxmi Bhandari added.

During their visit, the three Nepali journalists went around the Prothom Alo newsroom.