Nepal has a vibrant and rapidly growing media sector. According to the Press Council Nepal there are 89 daily newspaper and more than 381 weekly newspapers. In addition, according to the Ministry of Information and Communication, there are more than 326 FM stations and 38 Television channels in operation. Although the number of media houses and the number of people interested in making a career in journalism have gone up in recent years, there are still very few women journalists. According to the statistics of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), out of the total 9000 journalists, only 800 are women, with very few of them in decision-making positions. The main reason behind this is the lack of their professional capacity and personal security as well as the attitudes of media owners and managers.

In the present transition phase of Nepal, journalists have become increasingly victims of physical attacks and harassment. Women in media are at a greater risk of such attacks in comparison to their male colleagues. The male dominated society of Nepal often views women to be more easily intimidated and therefore some people see threatening or attacking women as an easy way to manipulate and suppress the media. Women journalists outside Kathmandu Valley are especially prone to such attacks. The cases have ranged from intimidation to physical violence and murder. 

Through this project, the skills and safety awareness of women journalists will be upgraded through a 5-day training programme in two development regions of Nepal together with interaction programmes on developing strategies to improve women’s position and representation in Nepal’s media.