Beyond the Story: Media's Influence on Gender Equality
Source: My Republica
The media does more than report the news. It shapes the way people think, influences social norms, and creates the narratives through which we understand people, events, and society. While the media has always played this role, its influence is greater today than ever before. We go to sleep after consuming information online and wake up checking news and social media on our phones. Media has become an integral part of our daily lives, making it one of the most powerful institutions in shaping public attitudes and behavior.
The media's influence can be seen across many areas of society. In Nepal, for example, menstruation was long treated as a taboo, and in some communities women were isolated during their menstrual periods as part of cultural or religious practices. Years of media reporting, public discussion, and advocacy gradually changed this narrative. Today, menstruation is increasingly recognized as a normal biological process, and menstrual health has become part of the public conversation. Likewise, Chhaupadi, once accepted as a cultural tradition, is now widely recognized as a harmful practice and a violation of women's rights.
A similar shift has taken place in the way domestic violence is understood. In Nepal, there is a saying that conflict between a husband and wife is like a straw fire—it burns quickly and dies out just as quickly. For many years, this belief encouraged people to treat domestic violence as a private family matter. Today, that perception has changed. Domestic violence is increasingly recognized as a crime, a human rights issue, and a matter of public concern. Despite this progress, it remains one of the most common forms of violence against women in Nepal. More than 20,000 cases are reported to the Nepal Police each year, yet the actual number is likely to be much higher, as many survivors continue to suffer in silence without reporting the abuse. These examples demonstrate that the media does more than report events—it has the power to challenge harmful beliefs, reshape public opinion, and inspire social change.
If the media can help transform public attitudes on issues such as menstruation and domestic violence, it can also play a decisive role in changing the narratives surrounding women in politics and leadership. The question is not whether the media has the power to influence social norms—it clearly does. The real question is how that power is used.
The media does more than report the news. It shapes the way people think, influences social norms, and creates the narratives through which we understand people, events, and society. While the media has always played this role, its influence is greater today than ever before. We go to sleep after consuming information online and wake up checking news and social media on our phones. Media has become an integral part of our daily lives, making it one of the most powerful institutions in shaping public attitudes and behavior.
The media's influence can be seen across many areas of society. In Nepal, for example, menstruation was long treated as a taboo, and in some communities women were isolated during their menstrual periods as part of cultural or religious practices. Years of media reporting, public discussion, and advocacy gradually changed this narrative. Today, menstruation is increasingly recognized as a normal biological process, and menstrual health has become part of the public conversation. Likewise, Chhaupadi, once accepted as a cultural tradition, is now widely recognized as a harmful practice and a violation of women's rights.
A similar shift has taken place in the way domestic violence is understood. In Nepal, there is a saying that conflict between a husband and wife is like a straw fire—it burns quickly and dies out just as quickly. For many years, this belief encouraged people to treat domestic violence as a private family matter. Today, that perception has changed. Domestic violence is increasingly recognized as a crime, a human rights issue, and a matter of public concern. Despite this progress, it remains one of the most common forms of violence against women in Nepal. More than 20,000 cases are reported to the Nepal Police each year, yet the actual number is likely to be much higher, as many survivors continue to suffer in silence without reporting the abuse. These examples demonstrate that the media does more than report events—it has the power to challenge harmful beliefs, reshape public opinion, and inspire social change.
If the media can help transform public attitudes on issues such as menstruation and domestic violence, it can also play a decisive role in changing the narratives surrounding women in politics and leadership. The question is not whether the media has the power to influence social norms—it clearly does. The real question is how that power is used.