Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said
that the gender divide between male and female in Bihar has
decreased in recent years as a social revolution was underway
due to various affirmative actions taken by the state
government to empower women.
A social revolution is underway in Bihar in which the
women feel empowered due to slew of affirmative measures taken
by the state government like 50 per cent reservation for them
in the panchayat bodies, bicycle and dress schemes for girl
students and other incentives for their welfare, he said at a
workshop organized by the women journalists under the banner
of the South Asian Women In Media (SAWM).
There has been a sea change in the attitude of the
parents towards girl who were getting equal attention of their
parents as there were equal opportunities for both boys and
girls for academic and intellectual pursuits, Kumar said.
These positive developments in recent years have helped
improve the gender gap in Bihar, Kumar said and urged
mediapersons, particularly women journalists, to conduct
research on the gender equity in the state.
He also lauded the mediapersons for their role in
highlighting socio-economic and political issues despite
facing a multiplicity of challenges in discharge of their
duties, including insecurity of job, and said the women
were taking to the profession in large number despite these
adversities which was praiseworthy.
Kumar said that the uncertainties in the media sector
as far as the field of journalists were concerned was a
passing phenomenon and hoped that the media persons too will
get professional security in future.
He expressed concern at the `insensitive` attitude of
the management of the newspapers and electronic channels
towards their journalist employees apparently in view of their
nature of jobs being contractual one and lauded the
media persons for discharging their duties in such a
`challenging` scenario.
Referring to the measures taken by the Bihar government
for the benefit of the media fraternity, Kumar said the state
government has announced awards under various categories for
the media persons, including best social and rural reporting
by women journalists.
Information centres have been set up at the district
level with facilities like fax, INTERNET and phones, he said.
PTI
