About Us
Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendra (A center for women journalists, Bangladesh) was established in March 13, 2001 with the aim of supporting and encouraging women who work for newspapers, electronic media, and news agencies and on line media. Today, in Bangladesh women can be found in all newsrooms which could not be imagined 50 years ago. In Bangladesh, women journalist not only working in big cities, they are also involved themselves in gathering news in remote areas for their local newspapers and as well as for national media.
It’s true, the number of female journalists is increasing in Bangladesh, but still the ratio between female and male journalists is not satisfactory. It is estimated that in allover Bangladesh there are 6000 male journalists are working whereas the number of female journalist is hardly 300.In policy making level we can find a few number of women journalist who hold the post of editor, executive editor, news editor and chief reporter though nobody can arise question about the efficiency of the female journalist.
In newsrooms female journalists often face disparities when the superior distributing their beats. Though today women reporters working in all types of news beats like energy, economic, political, parliament, crime, sports and election commission , but there number is very much nominal. Not only is that, in media houses, most authorities very much reluctant to send their women journalist for professional training whereas it is at home or abroad.
Women journalists are performing their job against the wind. But they are trying their best to survive in this profession by showing their efficiency. But until BNSK was formed, they didn’t have any platform to raise their voices, to share their problems. In this context BNSK was formed. BNSK is a networking, campaigning training and social organization for women journalist who work across Bangladesh. BNSK demand 25% employment of female journalist in every media house.
BNSK have developed four main stands:
* Organising training workshop for women journalists: BNSK already organized three 7-day training workshop on Gender Sensitive Reporting and one feature writing workshop for female reporters and feature writers from Dhaka and outside Dhaka. In near future BNSK will organize training workshop for women journalist on sub-editing.
* Organising seminar, symposium: BNSK already had organized a number of seminars on HIV/AIDS, sex workers, domestic violence, national budget, press freedom, women health, child right, humane right, national women policy, cedaw etc. BNSK also celebrated special days like women day, Begum Rokeya Day, Noorjahan Begum’s birthday (Noorjahan Begum is a pioneer women journalist of Bangladesh), Bengali New Year etc. BNSK arranged mentoring session with female students of the department of mass communication and journalism of Dhaka University.
* Organising research about the situation of women journalist in Bangladesh: NSK have a plan to make a base-line survey on women journalist of Bangladesh with the assistance of Action Aid Bangladesh.
* Publishing Bulletin/ Newsletter: BNSK have regularly published newsletter name”Nari Sangbadik” which contains the news of BNSK.
BNSK is also working with national and international level NGOs and UN organizations like UNICEF, Bangladesh Women Health Coalition, Bangladesh Family Planning Association, Prip Trust, Care Bangladesh, Breaking the Silence, Bangladesh Nari Progoti Sangho, Women and Gender Study Department of Dhaka University etc. BNSK is financially supported by Canadian International Dvelopment Agency (CIDA)
The main goal of BNSK: Gender Mainstreaming in the media for achieving good governance and empowerment of women through strengthening women’s involvement in the media.