Kathmandu, July 27:

Participants at a programme today stressed the need for improving the quality of women journalists by providing them training rather than increasing their number.

Speaking at a function organised to mark the 11th anniversary and general assembly of the Samcharika Samuha, Shree Krishna Acharya, member of the parliament, said: “We need to emphasise on the quality of the women journalists rather than increase the number of such journalists.

Shanker Prasad Koirala, secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communication, said that the ministry is planning to train women journalists. “We are incorporating government media under the Working Journalists Act to support journalists,” he maintained.

Rajendra Dahal, president of the Nepal Press Council, said that due to the low number of women journalists “we have not seen them achieving anything significant at the decision-making level.”

Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Minister for Information and Communication, claimed that they have already crossed the halfway of the goal of making a ‘New Nepal’. “If we fail to outline the campaign to meet the goals, we would not be able to institutionalise our freedom”, he added.

Mahara awarded journalist Rameshwor Bohora of the Rajdhani daily with Sancharika Equality Award and Ranjana Poudel of the Star FM and journalist Sita Adhikari of Dhading with Sancharika Encouragement Awards.