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Women must act firmly to become impactful journalist leader: Farida Yasmin

Womeneye Desk

Published: 00:51, 1 November 2022

Women must act firmly to become impactful journalist leader: Farida Yasmin

Farida Yasmin, the first ever elected female President of the National Press Club, recently talked with Voice of America, the state-owned international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. The senior journalist of The Daily Ittefaq and the former general secretary of Bangladesh National Press Club shared her success story of becoming an impactful journalist leader in Bangladesh, where women journos still have to make a long way to reach equal rights in the interview. 

VoA: You are the first ever elected female president of the National Press Club. What do you think, why did it take a female journalist so long to achieve the position?

Farida Yasmin: Currently, journalism is an occupation shared by both males and females. Not fewer than a few decades ago journalism used to be an almost exclusively male profession. Even though journalism was strictly a man’s occupation at first, some women battled the rough world of journalism. But, they had to deal with several issues that hold them back. So, women are new in this profession that's a major reason behind women not holding any prime positions in journalists' organizations. The second issue is security and social reasons. People still think that journalism is a risky job and women are not encouraged to join it. And finally, the most important issue is dedicating yourself fully to organizations which are not easy for a woman. After office hours, women cannot spend much time outside or work for organizations. To become a leader, you must spend your time on organizational purposes which most female journalists cannot do. Even though women currently have more rights than they had a few years ago; in the field of journalism, they still have a long distance to go to reach equal rights.
Regarding my personal story and struggle to become the first-ever female president of the National Press Club, I would like to say, you must work hard to gain success. I love challenges and from my childhood, I dreamt to be a history maker through my work. So, I decided to be a journalist and put all my effort into making my presence impactful here.

 

VoA: We are celebrating the 50 years of our existence as an independent nation. Do you think that we have achieved the expected press freedom in the last 50 years?

Farida Yasmin: This is a complicated question and we cannot answer it simply. Neither we can say that we are fully free nor we can say that we are not free. The entire situation depends on the journalist who is dealing with his or her particular assignment. I must say, a skilled journalist must know how to enjoy his or her freedom within the line. 

 

VoA: What are the major achievements of our media in the last 50 years?

Farida Yasmin: I must say in terms of media success, we have successfully achieved our goals to be a media-friendly country. Especially in the last decade, dozens of online and electronic media outlets have been installed and it can be termed media evolution. 

 

VoA: Journalists and free thinkers in the country are condemning the recently introduced Digital Security Act citing that it would affect the interests of freedom of speech and objective journalism. What do you think?


Farida Yasmin: The whole world is fastly moving towards a digitalised system. We are also following the direction. People in Bangladesh are easily getting internet connections and quick access to social media platforms. The cyber-world might be at its peak today but it's not necessarily danger-free. There are thieves, robbers, killers, cheats, and thugs in this world. This is where cyber security comes into the picture. Cyber security means keeping the cyber world free from all sorts of incidents that hinder the free and fair use of the internet.
Bangladesh has achieved some progress in creating a cyber-friendly atmosphere by adopting a number of initiatives. So, cybercrime has become another important topic to be addressed. And to control cyber crimes or crimes surrounding digital platforms, the government must act accordingly. That's why DSA should be slapped. Media workers and free thinkers think that some clauses of the act would affect press freedom. So, I think DSA is essential but the clauses or provisions which would affect media freedom should be amended. 

 

VoA: Why women are struggling to get the same space as their male counterparts in journalism? What are the challenges?


Farida Yasmin: This profession is full of struggles and challenges for both males and females. But, in the very competitive media industry, women have to try harder than men to prove their mettle. However, women should not think about those all the time. If you want to work professionally, fight harder and move ahead. Women should not pay heed to every criticism. Women must work hard and deal with conservative mind setups with courage. They must come forward and pave the way for themselves by showing society that women can be just as effective as males in the field of journalism.
 

MS