Kathmandu, September 26

A two-day training on parliamentary affairs reporting for women journalists organised by Working Women Journalists concluded here today.

As many as 25 working women journalists from all seven states across the country participated in the training that was supported by the Parliamentary Support Project and United Nations Development Programme.

The training covered important information required for parliamentary journalism such as the history of parliamentary affairs in Nepal and parliamentary journalism; theory and practice of reporting; knowledge about the constitution; code of conducts for journalists; the House proceedings; process of enacting bills and specific terminologies related to the House such as objection, rostrum, ruling, and gesture.

Participants were also briefed on duties, responsibilities and significance of the legislature, Federal Parliament session, State Assembly, covering news from gender perspectives, the business of the thematic committees, norms and values required for parliamentary reporting, zero hour, special hour and the role of speaker and main opposition in the parliaments.

Besides, a session on ‘Open parliament: Global practice and media role’ was conducted as part of the training. Journalists covering parliamentary affairs had facilitated the session.

Participants actively engaged in ‘a mock parliament session’ as part of the training. The programme was concluded in the presence of deputy speaker, the House of Representatives, Dr Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe.

On the occasion, deputy speaker expressed her concern over limited number of women journalists doing parliamentary reporting. She said she seldom saw women journalists in the parliament. Deputy Speaker Tumbahamphe urged senior male journalists with long experiences in journalism to encourage aspiring women journalists to adopt parliamentary journalism as their career. She also urged senior male journalists to be responsive, supportive and cooperative to female journalists. Deputy Speaker Tumbahamphe called on women journalists to cultivate a learning attitude and to seek a career in parliamentary reporting. She lamented that voices of women leaders and lawmakers was less heard and was given less space in the media.