First Meeting

I visited Nazran and Grozny to conduct academic research as a graduate student at Columbia University. Natasha was my primary source of help while I was there. From the very first day I met her, she had immediately left a powerful impression on me. When I walked into Memorial’s Grozny office, she immediately offered me tea and candies and told me to eat quickly so that I had strength to get as much work done as possible. Her energy was overwhelming and intimidating. Before I could even get out my notebook and digital recorder, she began spewing out name after name of the people she thought I should meet while I was there. I could hardly keep up with her. She asked me who I wanted to meet from my hastily scribbled list but, before I could answer, she had already picked up a phone and was calling all the people on the list to arrange my interviews. This was Natasha—a woman of few words and plenty of action. She always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone else.

A Quick Look in Women in Media History

- The evolution of mass media in Nepal began with the introduction of the hand press in 1851 A.D.
- Printing of Sudha Sagar, the first monthly magazine signifies the beginning of Nepalese journalism.
- The state owned Gorkhapatra came into being in 1901 and the first English daily The Rising Nepal was published in 1965.
- In the year 1952, after the publication of monthly magazine MAHILA, Sadhana Pradhan and Kamakshya Devi was observed in Nepalese media as editors. Since then some women were seen as editors for weekly and monthly magazines.
- After the establishment of Nepal Television in 1985, the participation of women in Nepalese media was noticed.
- The restoration of democracy in 1990 paved the way for the development of media in Nepal.

Particular interest groups influential in media (owners, publishers, advertisers, politicians) have their specific interests in news. Control over the decision which kind of information will be covered by media is in hands of these interest groups and is of crucial importance for society.

Since the media, as well as other social institutions, are male dominated, it is hard to expect that these specific interests will in a broader sense include information related specifically to the whole range of social, economic, cultural etc. aspects of the status of women in society. Also, it is not likely to expect that media will easily change their focuses to include and integrate perspectives of women. Thus, women in media attempting to break through this system of control are extremely important, not only in the times and places of conflict but in general.