"This open access book breaks new ground by examining the significant role played by radio in empowering women in three Francophone West African countries: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. It examines the representation and perception of key themes broadcast by radio and associated with women's empower
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ment in the three countries. Each chapter contextualises a specific topic in the country and then explores discrete aspects of radio's provision. The topics covered in the chapters are women's political engagement; women and finances; women and life within marriage; inheritance; women's involvement in radio structures; and radio, internally displaced women, and trauma." (Publisher description)
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"Does radio programming by Studio Tamani in Mali create an empowering environment for women’s voices? Contributing to existing theoretical discussions on radio and women’s empowerment, this article examines the need to discuss women’s empowerment not from the perspective of women as individual
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s, but from the perspective of “webs of relations”, thus allowing intersubjectivity and evolving relationships with others to be considered. “Webs of relations” refers to the broader societal, institutional, and structural inequalities and injustices that women face in their everyday lives and which shape women’s agency and decision-making power. To achieve this aim, the article draws on two rounds of focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted in 2019–2020 and content analyses of a series of women-related radio programmes broadcast in Mali by Studio Tamani, the radio studio created by the Swiss-based media organisation Fondation Hirondelle. It suggests that the plurivocality of Malian women, as a diverse and heterogenous group, must be reflected in radio debates on women’s issues in order to reflect the “web of relations” that delimit women’s empowerment." (Abstract)
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"We illustrate the principles and processes of gender transformative communication by presenting a case study of a long-running social change initiative spearheaded by Minga Perú, a community-based organization in the Peruvian Amazon. Applying a gender and power lens, we illustrate how communicatio
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n transforms existing gender structures. Specifically, we analyze the monumental shifts that are occurring in roles, norms, hierarchies and relationships between women and men in the Peruvian Amazon emanating from Minga’s gender transformative approach. Our analysis highlights gendered shifts at the individual, family, community and institutional level. Through our analysis we outline a communicative process for gender transformation, highlighting how the Minga approach contributes to multiple gender-related outcomes across health, violence, participation, agency and decision-making. We argue that each component of Minga’s process is essentially communicative in nature. Simply put, communication serves as both a means and an end to achieving gender transformation." (Abstract)
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"The significance of radio as a provider of essential news and information in conflict-affected and fragile countries cannot be underestimated nor can its role in contributing to shifts in critical consciousness, changes in behaviour, and raising awareness amongst marginalised groups. This is partic
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ularly the case regarding the influence of radio on women's empowerment. In Niger, women suffer from widespread gender inequality with a 75% child marriage rate, low literacy rates, polygamy and gender-based violence. The most important source of information women have is radio. This article illustrates radio's impact on women's rights and empowerment in the world's poorest country. It draws on extensive fieldwork conducted in 2018–19 (workshops, semi-structured interviews and focus groups) and in-depth content analyses of women-related radio output broadcast by Studio Kalangou, a radio studio in Niger, set up in 2016 by the Swiss-based media development agency, Fondation Hirondelle. The article demonstrates how increasing and developing the targeting of radio programmes to include more women-related themes and improving the content will contribute to empowering women politically, economically and within society." (Abstract)
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"There is evidence that [the radio drama series] 'Life in Lulu' had a strong impact on women’s attitudes and inspired female listeners to resolve conflicts non-violently and encourage others to do the same. This seems to be driven by having characters that are engaging to women and storylines that
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challenge traditional gender roles and model more balanced power dynamics between men and women. However, the drama had less impact on shifting the attitudes of men in relation to the role of women in decision-making and conflict resolution. Gender norms related to decision-making within and outside the home are particularly ‘sticky’ and difficult to change." (Conclusion)
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"This study was conducted between April 2018 and July 2019 with the aim of assessing the impact of Studio Kalangou’s radio broadcasts on women’s rights and empowerment in Niger. It comprised: A content analysis of approximately 60 hours of radio programmes broadcast in 2018 by Studio Kalangou in
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Niger; A series of 40 focus groups, 20 conducted before, and 20 after, the programmes were broadcast; Two knowledge exchange workshops in Niger with representatives from the media, civil society organisations, NGOs, and donors, held before and after the programmes were broadcast; A third and final knowledge exchange workshop, on completion of the research [...] Radio remains a main source of information in Niger and, based on the data collected during the study, is accessed primarily by mobile phone. Use of social media to access sources of information, including radio, remains limited. Whilst radio remains the main source of information amongst older focus group respondents, younger participants demonstrate little interest in radio, preferring social media. A generational divide exists between older and younger listeners. Older listeners are adamant about what youth should be doing, what they should like and what they should enjoy listening to. This does not chime with what young people want or are interested in. Female empowerment, according to the broadcasts, is a long-term process and affects women as part of a group. In contrast, according to listeners, empowerment must affect their daily lives and be on a personal, more micro level. Women-focused programmes, whilst necessary and beneficial, may serve to isolate information and themes as they depart from the normal expectations of a male-dominated society. Gender equality, which already emerges in Studio Kalangou’s mainstream broadcasts, needs to be encouraged and extended throughout the schedule to impact all listeners. There is evidence of changes in behaviour amongst listeners as a result of Studio Kalangou broadcasts. Improvements in general and specific awareness of subject matter and themes emerge strongly. There are differences in editorial priorities between what Studio Kalangou offers and what the listeners want." (Pages 4-5)
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"This working paper defines the scope of the FemmePowermentAfrique project, its significance, its research approach and its intended beneficiaries. This project originated in an impact assessment of radio on women’s rights and empowerment in Niger, yet has broadened to incorporate a series of rela
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ted and important research questions. The research draws on various methodologies including focus groups with listeners, semi-structured interviews, workshops and context analysis of radio output. The project pursues the following aims: 1. To assess the impact of radio on women’s rights and empowerment in the Sahel region of Africa. Three countries have been selected for initial investigation: Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. 2. To assess perceptions of female empowerment within the context of these countries, particularly in comparison with existing concepts and those widely used by nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and countries and donors in the North. 3. To produce recommendations on the use of radio with regard to women’s rights and empowerment to be used by media development organisations, civil society organisations, journalists and the media, donors, and research organisations. 4. To contribute to understandings of impact and its measurement. 5. To contribute to methodological approaches used by researchers working in the field. 6. To benefit radio organisations, media, listeners and marginalised and disempowered communities in the three countries through the application of the recommendations. 7. To identify other geographic and topic areas that could benefit from the research findings and methodology (for example, youth, governance, and radicalisation)." (Executive summary)
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"This article examines the work of women’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on West Bank radio as they represent women, a marginalized community, within a patriarchal, traditional and religious society. It also examines the commercial and societal difficulties faced by radio stations in their
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interactions with NGOs. Using a quantitative and qualitative approach, this article analyses data from six commercial, rather than state-owned or community, radio stations in four West Bank cities and discusses the frustrations of both parties as they work together. Contributing to the limited literature on the role of radio in the West Bank, the article also draws on interviews with representatives from the chosen stations and the NGOs that broadcast material on radio stations. The findings suggest that, for the NGOs and in contrast to other media, radio plays an important, albeit currently limited, role as amplifiers for their campaigns. Yet the radio stations do not contribute substantively, if at all, to encouraging NGO community-building activities and, in fact, restrict themselves to a commercial-based association." (Abstract)
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"As farmers, foresters and providers, women have a unique understanding of the ecosystems they live alongside. A pioneering radio programme in Malawi is tapping into this immense body of knowledge by creating a platform for women to engage in landscape restoration." (Page 1)
"The study sought to find out radio listenership among women in Kipkelion West Sub-County, to establish the choice of radio programs and stations that interests the women, to assess the preference of radio to other mass communication media among women and to find out the gratifications women seek to
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satisfy from listening to radio programs. The research was based on the theory of the uses and gratification which is concerned with what people do with the media rather than what media does to the people [...] The study found that majority of the respondents indicated that they had radios in their households and they listen to it. The study also found out that Majority of the women listened to radio mostly in the evening and morning hours. Chamgei FM was the most preferred radio station. News and agricultural programs were the most preferred programs. Finally the study found out that women listened to radio to be informed and entertained. This study concludes that radio is a very common communication channel among women and thus it should be well utilized by development practitioners. The study recommends that Radio programmers should schedule important programs or messages in the evening and early morning when listenership is high. Radio programs should be produced in an edutainment format and to enhance listenership of radio in this region it is necessary that the government enhances infrastructure such as electricity." (Abstract)
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"Drawing upon feminism and participatory communication, this research has used multiple methods to explore the rich and innovative experiences of the women’s radio stations in Senegal. The case of Gindiku FM, one of the four women’s radio stations in Senegal, is used to assess the community radi
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o’s revolutionary potential for development and progressive social change. The findings show that women’s community radio has emerged as a response to women’s marginalization in both mainstream media and in alternative community media, as well as to women’s need to have their own communication means. The findings reveal that Gindiku FM is an outstanding model of a women’s community radio station that has successfully articulated gender and participatory communication to empower rural and poor women living in a context dominated by a Sufy Islamic Order. The findings show that three key factors have contributed to the success of Gindiku FM. The first factor is a clear commitment to integrating a gender perspective in all of their actions and therefore to question gender-based discrimination and marginalization. The second factor is the set-up of a network of 60 rural women reporters and 60 listening groups, in as many villages, as a scheme to ensure women’s inclusion and participation in the radio station. The third factor is the implementation of gendered programming targeting inequality, social injustices, and women’s subordination. The findings of this study indicate that Gindiku FM has produced changes both at individual and community levels. Women have been empowered technically, culturally and socially. The traditional image of a silenced woman, lacking agency and self-esteem, is fading for a new one that is more vocal, dynamic and less entrenched in traditional and patriarchal values. Therefore, Gindiku FM has emerged as a powerful model that can inspire women’s media activists, as well as donors willing to support initiatives in gender and communication for development." (Abstract)
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"This paper investigates whether exposure to "edutainment" (education - entertainment) radio leads to improved women's status and primary school participation. Specifically, I examine a popular radio station focusing on gender issues in Cambodia. To identify the effect, I exploit plausible exogenous
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variation in over-the-air signal strength between radio transmitters and villages within a district, as well as the variation across time and space in exposure. Using individual data, both approaches show that the exposure had a significant impact on behavior by raising the women's decision-making power within the household and increasing children's primary school attendance. The latter impact is also reflected by higher primary school enrollment three years after exposure. The impact was found in both poor and rural households confirming that radio is an efective vehicle to transmit information in the more marginalized areas. Suggestive evidence shows that the exposure also affected attitudes towards domestic violence and the prevalence of son preference which is a stepping stone towards changing socially constructed gender norms." (Abstract)
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"1. Overall awareness of Afghan Woman’s Hour (AWH) in Afghanistan was found to be high; 50% of all those who had listened to the radio in the previous month were aware of AWH. Awareness was higher in the South Western region at 64% compared with the lowest level of awareness at 23% in the Hazarjat
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region. Awareness was higher among women (60%) as compared to men (40%) men indicating popularity of the programme among its primary target audience i.e. women.
2. The survey found that about 45% of active radio listeners had ever listened to AWH, indicating that the programme has been heard by approximately 11 million Afghans. Listenership was highest in the South Western province (61%) followed by Eastern (49%) and South Central (48%) provinces. Hazarjat province reported the lowest listenership at 22%.
3. More than half of all female active radio listeners had ever listened to AWH. Again, it is apparent that the programme is reaching its primary target audience with 55% of women having ever listened to the programme. Nearly all those who were aware of the programme had heard the programme at some point.
4. Of all those aware of AWH, 76% of men and 83% of women had listened to it in the last month or more recently. Nearly a fifth of all active radio listeners had listened to the programme in the last 7 days with more than a third having listened in the last month.
5. Just over a fifth of all active radio listeners listen to AWH once a week or more. Slightly less than a third of female all active radio listeners listen to the programme once a week or more. As expected this figure is lower for men." (Exectuvive summary)
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"The book brings together a range of community peacebuilding experiences that apply open and distance learning. The emphasis on community requires distance educators to change focus. The book addresses how to help a community articulate its own purposes for learning and then support it in achieving
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them. The role of radio, video and audio recordings to carry stories to larger audiences is explored. By raising expectations and challenging assumptions, use of these media can be catalysts that accelerate other processes of change." (Publisher description)
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"This case study investigates the launch of a women’s radio station in Herat, Afghanistan, in October 2003. It follows four women journalists’ struggles in balancing the demands of a highly conservative culture on the one hand, and the objectives of their Canadian journalism trainers on the othe
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r. By discussing how the radio station was forced to accede to the male-centric norms in Afghan radio production to avoid being labelled unprofessional, the study concludes that gender and media development must be conceptualised more carefully to present an effective challenge to gender inequality." (Abstract)
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"El estudio presenta los resultados de reuniones sostenidas con organizaciones de mujeres, con periodistas y trabajadores de varios medios de comunicación de 13 departamentos, incluida la capital, quienes expusieron sus puntos de vista sobre el problema, lo que permitió identificarlo y presentar s
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oluciones y posibles caminos. Además de la identificación de la problemática y de la concientización, se contribuyó a la elaboración de 24 perfiles de igual número de organizaciones de mujeres, 19 de 7 departamentos y 5 de la capital, así como la apertura de programas radiales." (Página 3)
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