Kathmandu (Pahichan) May 23 – Pahichan has conducted a survey in order to find out the impact of Pahichan Radio programs. The main purpose of the survey was to find out the current status and explore ways to further enhance its impact.

Through this survey we came to know that confidence of LGTBI individuals has been boosted up after listening Pahichan Radio program. Many had self-realization about their gender and sexuality through this program.

People have been confident about strongly fighting and advocating for their sexuality, and dealing with various sorts of challenges and struggles. It has been ascertained that people would approach to Blue Diamond Society and Pahichan Media without hesitation if their human rights are violated or encroached.

People who have participated in the survey have changed their legal names in school, while many have taken citizenship and passport with their gender identity.

We have also been successful in cases of human rights violence where the survivors have filed case in National Human Rights Commission, and violators are facing cases. Many people have started speaking confidentially, and participating in programs which are not organized by LGBTI people.

Pahichan Media has successfully produced many LGBTI journalists, while many have become self-employed. People who participated in the survey are capable to participate in International level platforms.

People who are not LGBTI (heterosexual-cisgender) people have demanded more awareness programs. In many families, LGBTI have been accepted, and been able to come to Blue Diamond Society. Many have told that they understood what LGBTI means, and have started telling others in their circles about LGBTI, after hearing Pahichan.

Most of the participants have told that they listen Pahichan on daily basis, while some people hear it sometimes. Majority of the participants listen Pahichan in order to get information and understand about LGBTI. Tuning to Pahichan, most of the people have changed their attitude and perceptions towards LGBTI in positive way, and they are able to identify LGBTI individuals. Most of them like Pahichan.

They like to hear talks with parliamentarians, law makers, government officials, politicians, human rights defenders, social workers, academic people, journalists, actors, famous individuals, general population and LGBTI themselves. While majority of them like the way Pahichan has been producing, many of them think interview should be the medium of dissemination.

They have told that they are aware about legal and constitutional provision for LGBTI in the country, and say that same sex marriage should be legalized. Half of them came to know about Supreme Court’s order on citizenship, and other legal provisions through Pahichan program, while half of them knew about it through newspaper, online and Pahichan YouTube channel.

There is a demand that Radio program Pahichan should be expanded country wide. While Pahichan is being broadcast by eight radio stations in Nepal, it has been demanded that Pahichan should be broadcasted from all radio stations of the country.

These demands have been raised during Pahichan Radio’s survey in various districts of Nepal. The people who participated in the survey suggested Pahichan to produce Television program as well. Most of the participants suggested publishing Pahichan magazine and including LGBTI individuals and issues. They also have expectation that these suggestions would be implemented.

There are also suggestions that programs should focus the hidden population, and create an enabling environment for people to come out. People called out for accelerating awareness among citizens, with a priority focus on school and colleges.

It has been asked that Pahichan promotes school and colleges curriculum to include LGBTI issues. People have suggested producing video materials and movies focusing on LGBTI issues, which take homosexual, bisexual, transgender and intersex specific issues into account as well. Transgender people have high visibility in society compared to other clusters of LGBTI, and it has been asked to produce movies that deal with life story, love life and marriage of transgender individuals.

People have suggested that Pahichan needs to work to develop its capacity, and producing more LGBTI journalists, and promote those LGBTI people who have been capable journalists. It has been suggested that Pahichan should work to improve confidence of LGBTI individuals, helping them with trainings and programs, in order to lift them emotionally, economically and socially, along with awareness about new programs and trainings.

The survey was conducted in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kaski, Makwanpur, Rupandehi, Kailali, Morang, Kanchanpur, Rasuwa, Nepalgunj, Nuwakot, Kavre, Sindupalchok districts. We surveyed people who were LGBTI, as well as those beyond this community. People of diverse age group, location, backgrounds were surveyed. The survey was also conducted in the districts where Pahichan radio program is not launched.