Expert Council
Babita Basnet has been actively involved in journalism for 33 years. Currently, she is an Executive Director of Media Advocacy Group (MAG), a national NGO working in Nepal since 2008 for the promotion of Right to Information (RTI), Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality, and rights of marginalized communities through media mobilization. She is former president of Sancharika Samuha, a forum of women journalists and communicators in Nepal. She worked as an editor of Ghatana Ra Bichar Weekly News Paper for 23 years, now she is a columnist of this newspaper. Currently, she is hosting a podcast titled "SAMAYA BHITRAKO SAMAY".
Along with long professional background in Journalism and media, Ms. Basnet has been a professional trainer for Media, Gender and Security, Gender and Disaster, Gender Based Violence, Right to Information, Women, Peace and Security, Trafficking and migration. She served as a member of High Level Media Advisory Commission, Government of Nepal in 2006. She was appointed as the member of the Drafting Committee formed by the Government of Nepal on Right to Information Act in 2006, and member of National Mass Communication Policy Implementation Advisory High Level Committee, formed by Government of Nepal in 2017. She was a Member of SAARC Gender Policy Advocacy Group (representative, from the civil society and nominated by the Government of Nepal) for 2015 to 2017.
She has written and edited number of books, which includes In search of Self Reliance (case studies of survivors of Trafficking) Foreign Employment for women: Challenges & Opportunity (a compilation of articles on migrant women workers). She edited books entitled: "Media and Elections" and "Women, Constituent Assembly, Elections and Media". Her literary books SAMAYA SAKSHI (travelogue) and "Sambandhahin Sambandhaharu" (collections of stories) has been published.
She has received several awards from different sectors mainly Senior Journalist Award by the president of Nepal Hon. Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Award Established by Ministry for Communication, Information and Technology, 2018, Celebrating Womanhood Award – 2007 by Creative Statements, Shridhar Jornalism National Award – 2009 by Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Peace Media Award – 2009 by Krishna Mohan Nudup Memorial Academy, Uma Shing Journalism Award-2012 by Reporters Club Nepal, KCC Journalism Award- 2014 by Kantipur City College and Gender Equality Journalism Award-2016 by Federation of Nepali Journalist and Motherland Nepal, America.
In addition, Ms. Basnet has persistently been contributing to the women's movement in Nepal by mainstreaming gender concerns and issues through the media. She undertook Basic Journalism Training from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi – 1993 and Journalism Training for Broadcasters and Journalists from Developing Countries, New York – 1994.
She can be reached on basnetbabita7@hotmail.com, babita.basnet@gmail.com