Khabar Lahariya, literally \u201cnews waves\u201d, is an all-women media organisation run since 2002 by rural reporters, many of them Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim, dispatching fresh stories from some of the most marginalised regions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe faced challenges at every level,\u201d founder Kavita Devi told UN News<\/em>. \u201cPeople would say women can\u2019t be journalists, but we went to villages, persisted and proved that women can not only report but tell stories that others cannot.\u201d<\/p>\n Long before global conversations about diversity entered newsrooms, these women were building their own.<\/p>\n Villagers initially doubted women could be journalists and educational barriers made recruiting reporters a daunting challenge, Ms. Devi said, recalling the scepticism they encountered.<\/p>\n At the time, female reporters were virtually absent from newsrooms in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Many of the women who joined Khabar Lahariya had little formal education.<\/p>\n One such journalist, Shyamkali, transformed from being illiterate to becoming a senior reporter.<\/p>\n <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n Khabar Lahariya reports in local languages, including Bundeli, Awadhi and Bhojpuri, rejecting the idea that legitimacy requires elite, urban Hindi or English.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know how to write a resume or handle a camera, but with training and guidance, I was able to learn everything, from interviewing to mobile journalism, and now I report stories that mainstream media ignore,\u201d Shyamkali told UN News<\/em>.<\/p>\n Khabar Lahariya\u2019s reporting also goes beyond mere representation. Shyamkali recounted a story about a woman who, driven to desperation, acted violently against her abusive husband.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mainstream media reported the incident without context, focusing only on the shocking act, she said. But, Shyamkali\u2019s reporting brought the woman\u2019s perspective and underlying social realities to light, demonstrating how women journalists can add nuance, empathy and depth to stories often ignored or misrepresented.<\/p>\n Language plays a critical role in Khabar Lahariya\u2019s mission. Publishing in local dialects like Bundeli, Awadhi and Bhojpuri, ensures that news is accessible, relatable and empowering for rural communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we explain issues in their language, people understand better,\u201d Ms. Devi said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey see their own image in the news, especially women.\u201d<\/p>\n Transitioning from print to digital platforms has been a game changer for Khabar Lahariya, with its staff embracing mobile journalism, learning to anchor, produce and share news on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.<\/p>\n Technology has empowered us to amplify voices from communities that were always ignored.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cTechnology has empowered us to amplify voices from communities that were always ignored,\u201d Shyamkali said, recalling the initial fear and excitement of tackling digital media.<\/p>\n \u201cI never imagined handling a camera or sending live reports from a phone, but now I can.\u201d<\/p>\n This digital expansion not only increases visibility, but enhances women\u2019s agency, confidence and economic independence, proving that technology and training can transform social realities at the grassroots level.<\/p>\n <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n Founded in 2002, Khabar Lahariya is an all-women media organisation run by rural reporters, many of them Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Women remain just one in four people seen, heard or read about in the media, according to the\u00a02025 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) report.<\/p>\n When women\u2019s voices are missing, the public is denied half the story.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Kalliopi Mingeirou, chief of UN Women\u2019s section to end violence against women and girls, told UN News<\/em> \u201cthis is not because women lack expertise or leadership\u201d but because media continues to rely on the same narrow set of voices, too often defaulting to men as experts and decision makers.<\/p>\n Indeed, democracy depends on informed debate and inclusive decision making, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen women\u2019s voices are missing, the public is denied half the story,\u201d she said. \u201cThis distorts reality, weakens accountability and narrows the democratic space. In today\u2019s context of backlash against gender equality, the exclusion of women in news is not only a gender issue, it is a democratic deficit.\u201d<\/p>\n Progress on gender representation in media has not only stalled, it is under threat, according to the new report.<\/p>\n \u201cThese findings are both a wake-up call and a call to action,\u201d said Kirsi Madi, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women. \u201cWhen women are missing, democracy is incomplete.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite making up half of the world\u2019s population, women today account for just 26 per cent of news subjects and sources globally, a figure that has barely shifted in the last 15 years, the report found.<\/p>\n \u201cA radical rethink is needed so that media can play its role in advancing equality,\u201d Ms. Madi said. \u201cWithout women\u2019s voices, there is no full story, no fair democracy, no lasting security and no shared future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFrom illiterate to multimedia producer<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Reporting from the margins<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Women \u2018see their own image in the news\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Game changing digital media<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nTelling the whole story<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\u2018Radical rethink\u2019 required<\/strong><\/h2>\n