Women journalists move on, yet serious problems remain

Gone are the days when women were hardly seen in Bangladesh's journalism. Now their number is growing fast as more and more girls are taking up the profession breaking all the barriers, reports UNB.

Though the girls are taking up journalism with a great passion, they currently face newer problems forcing many to give up halfway through.  "Though many families are now encouraging their girls to choose journalism as a profession, the environment in many media houses for female journalists are not favourable yet," Kazi Nafia Rahman, a Staff Reporter at a national online newspaper, told UNB.

There are still many problems like discrimination in salary structure, job insecurity, and harassment by male colleagues for which many promising girls, being depressed, are leaving this profession, said Nafia who is ready to face all the obstacles.

She thinks media houses can organise counseling programmes to recognise the problems the female journalists face in their workplaces as they have to take care of both the family and the profession.

Nusrat Jahan Audety, a sub-editor at Dainik Amar Din, a national daily, said women are interested to join this profession as they think it is a better medium to get connected with people and serve society with their professional works.

Journalism is a challenging profession and girls who love taking challenges are joining this profession, she said. "I've chosen this profession as I love taking challenges since my childhood."

"In some offices, women are undermined by their male colleagues. They also don't get proper recognition of their good works from the colleagues and offices unlike their counterparts," Nusrat told UNB.

Women should be treated as human being not as 'women' in media houses, and if they are treated with respect they can go a long way, she added.

Women journalists move on, yet serious problems remain

Gone are the days when women were hardly seen in Bangladeshs journalism. Now their number is growing fast as more and more girls are taking up the profession breaking all the barriers, reports UNB. Though the girls are taking up journalism with a great passion, they currently face newer problems forcing many to give up halfway through. Though many families are now encouraging their girls to choose journalism as a profession, the environment in many media houses for female journalists are not favourable yet, Kazi Nafia Rahman, a Staff Reporter at a national online newspaper, told UNB. There are still many problems like discrimination in salary structure, job insecurity, and harassment by male colleagues for which many promising girls, being depressed, are leaving this profession, said Nafia who is ready to face all the obstacles. She thinks media houses can organise counseling programmes to recognise the problems the female journalists face in their workplaces as they have to take care of both the family and the profession. Nusrat Jahan Audety, a sub-editor at Dainik Amar Din, a national daily, said women are interested to join this profession as they think it is a better medium to get connected with people and serve society with their professional works. Journalism is a challenging profession and girls who love taking challenges are joining this profession, she said. Ive chosen this profession as I love taking challenges since my childhood. In some offices, women are undermined by their male colleagues. They also dont get proper recognition of their good works from the colleagues and offices unlike their counterparts, Nusrat told UNB. Women should be treated as human being not as women in media houses, and if they are treated with respect they can go a long way, she added.