Women Publishing in the Asia Pacific Region

Asmita Women's Publication House, Kathmandu

Asmita Women's Publication House was set up in 1988 by two young and enthusiastic women journalists; Susan Maskey and Anju Chetri. As they put it, 'On completion of our studies, we did not want to join the usual rat race. We wanted to do something creative, challenging and worthwhile.' Starting a magazine for women seemed the right thing to do. It certainly was the need of the hour; at that time there were more than 400 newspapers and magazines published in the country, and there were many more coming from outside, but there was not a single magazine addressing the lives of Nepali women. It was much more challenging than they thought it would be. Basic formalities like registering as a women¹s resource centre became difficult tasks and invited ridicule, sarcastic remarks and even threats from some people in the community.

But persistence and hardwork has made Asmita a household name in Nepal now. From a quarterly it has become a monthly magazine and has a circulation of more than 6000 copies. Special issues have had a print run of 15000. The estimated number of readers is about 50000 and it reaches all the districts of the country as well some parts of India.

After more than eight years of experience, the centre has realised that it is not enough to publish for educated, urban women alone. In order to meet the needs of neo-literate and semi-literate rural women Asmita has launched a bi-monthly called Sahachari (literally, woman friend). Sahachari, which has been extremely well received by rural women, gives women information on health, sanitation, nutrition and on their fundamental rights. Sahachari is distributed free to grassroots women.

Asmita has also published many attractive and informative posters to raise public awareness on gender issues and women's rights. With the debate around women's right to property gaining importance in Nepal, Asmita has published two booklets; Mahila Sashaktikaranko Lagi Kanun (Law for Women's Empowerment) and Equal Rights to Property: A Legal Leap Toward Women's Independence. Asmita has been conducting a special project called Media Watch which monitors the media in Nepal and analyses its representation of women. The resource Centre at Asmita which has a good collection of women-related reading materials is kept open to interested people.

Asmita's unique contribution has received accolades both in Nepal and abroad. In 1994 it received the Pandora award for outstanding achievement and work done in the field of media. Asmita can be reached at:

Asmita Women's Publication House
PO Box 4795
Bagbazar
Kathmandu
Nepal
Tel: 227629
Fax: 422035
Email: asmita@npl.healthnet.org

Special Issue1
This was a special issue on the equal rights of women to ancestral property. The cover shows women on a protest march against the unfair legal system.

Special Issue 2
This was a special issue on the occasion of Asmita's silver jubilee.