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KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat formally inaugurated a programme organised to mark the official opening of the Female Economic Journalist Association (FEJA) on Monday.
Addressing the programme also held for greeting exchange on the occasion of Dashain and Tihar festival, Finance Minister Mahat said that he attended the programme to encourage the women journalists and expressed his hope that FEJA would play a significant role in the development of women's ability to write about the issues in the economic sector.
“Just increasing the participation of women in economic journalism is not enough, FEJA should work on producing more capable women and play a big role in empowering them,” Minister Mahat suggested.
"Since women are still deprived of some rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the formation of the association will bring more clarity in financial knowledge and skills to women as well as financial journalism."
Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) Chairman Ramesh Kumar Hamal said that there is a tendency in Nepal to not connect women with economic aspects, no matter how much work they do, and FEJA is expected to play an important role in improving it.
As FEJA will help in increasing the capacity of women journalists, financial literacy, positive economic development, accurate information and knowledge will spread in the country through the news reports, Hamal opined.
Representatives of private sector, banks and financial institutions (BFIs), insurance, capital market and others associated with the government, present at the programme expected that FEJA would support the country's economic stability through insightful news stories by women economic journalists.
Nepal Capital Market Investors' Association President Radha Pokharel opined that in Nepali society where women have to struggle under normal circumstances, it is beneficial to organise women economic journalists’ association. She lamented that in some cases, women have to fight against women to remove barriers and said it is commendable to move forward in an organised manner in the economic sector.
SEBON Chairman Hamal, Nepal Bankers' Association President Sunil KC, Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal (IPPAN) President Ganesh Karki, Nepal Insurers' Association President Chunky Chhetry, National Cooperative Federation of Nepal (NCF) Chairman Min Raj Kadel, Sancharika Samuha Nepal (SASN) President Bimala Tumkhewa attended the programme.
Similarly, Nepal Association of Financial Journalists (NAFIJ) Vice President Menuka Karki, Economic Media Society Nepal (EMSON) President Ram Raja Shrestha, Dhitopatra Brokers Association Nepal (DBAN) President Sagar Dhakal, Nepal Capital Market Investors' Association President Pokharel among others were also present at the programme.
