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Giving Women A Voice They Never Had: Community Radio
Ice Breaker
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Topic
Terms
Terms
Civil Society:
- society considered as a community of citizens linked by common interests and collective activity.
Advocacy :
- public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy.
Terms
Non-government Organization:
- Organizations which are independent of government involvement
Government Civil Society Collaborators
- is comprised of groups or organizations working in the interest of the citizens
Partnerships:
- the state of being a partner or partners.
Abstract
Motivation
- Governments commonly support the advocacy role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in development, but studies argue that close linkages between government and CSOs are problematic. The Netherlands’ policy programme ‘Dialogue and Dissent’ brings together the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA) and 25 (alliances of) CSOs as advocacy partners. The programme is set up from an awareness of the challenging nature of such collaboration.
Purpose
- We contribute to understanding the ways in which issues with donor–CSO collaboration can be
engaged in donor policies. This paper addresses two questions: To what extent and how does this programme confront and overcome the challenges of close collaboration between government and CSOs? What practical lessons can be learnt?
Introduction
Community Radio (CR) has its unique value in the society. It provides a platform where members of a
community or communities can discuss their problems, issues and exchange views. It develops a sense of belonging among the members of a community. Community Radio is a radio for the development of the particular community people within the geographical limits of that area. It is a non-profitable organization and the radio programs are volunteered by the community people. They give psychological support, to build solidarity and rebuilt the knowledge and behavior of the community people. It’s a third type of radio broadcasting apart from public and commercial or private radio broadcasters. CR plays a crucial role in creating awareness among people and informing citizens about their rights and entitlements. UNESCO says that as radio continues to evolve in the digital age and remains the medium that reaches the widest audience worldwide. This multi-purpose medium can help people to engage in discussions on topics that affect them.
Introduction
Accordingly, this paper focuses on how CR provides an opportunity for women’s access to information and allows them to break through the shackles of patriarchy and have their voices heard. By examining the opportunities for women who participate in CR, this study offers insights into how CR has the potential to reshape the lives of women by introducing shows and programs for them, based on daily issues and offer solutions. Written as a crossover between gender and CR, the study looks at how the CR movement in India acts as a tool for rural women development and proves to be an instrument in changing their lives.
Literature Review
2.1 World and India
CR is a relatively young sector in India. Though the campaign to legitimize community radio began in the mid
1990s, the CR Policy that enables not-for-profit organizations to apply for license was not enacted by the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) until 2006. The Policy was as an outcome of the longstanding
demands of the CR movement, which developed from 1995 when the Supreme Court of India ruled that,
“airwaves constitute public property and must be utilized for advancing public good.” The movement, which in
2007 was institutionalized with the establishment of Community Radio Forum (CRF), shed light on the
necessity to develop a third alternative to the State-owned and private media to cater to local audiences' and
grassroots development needs, which were absent in public broadcasting and commercial stations. Indeed,
although state-owned All India Radio (AIR), through a capillary network of local stations, has been traditionally
used as a tool in support of the national development effort, its top-down approach and centralized editorial
system hinder it from addressing communities’ communication needs.
Literature Review
Although CR Policy was ratified only recently in India, the use of radio as a tool of participatory development has a longer history. The first evidence dates back to 1956, when 150 villages in Maharashtra were invited to discuss about AIR local radio content through the UNESCO-facilitated Farm Radio Forum. Also, some grassroots NGOs – Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS) in Gujarat; Alternative for India Development (AID) in Jharkhand, Deccan Development Society (DDS) in Andhra Pradesh and Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency (MYRADA) in partnership with VOICES in Karnataka – pioneered CR initiatives in the 1990s with the production of radio programs, which were either broadcast through local AIR frequencies or distributed through alternative methods such as cable and narrow-casting (Nirmala, 2015).
Literature Review
Empowerment is essentially a transition from a position of enforced powerlessness to one of power. It promotes
women’s inherent strengths and positive self-image. Gaining power means acquiring ability and opportunity to
participate and contribute in the social development process creatively and meaningfully. The process of
empowerment enables them to develop in them self-dignity. It enables them to raise voice and fight against
injustice, exploitation, abuse, and violence done to them (Nirmala, 2015).
Radio has been discussed as a female medium in terms both of the intimate relationship women have with it as
listeners and of the program content that has been devised by/ for them. Radio is a medium which is women
friendly, pertinent and accessible in terms of learning the production skills and techniques, working together to
shape program schedules and tell their stories to help them regarding the needs of information, education and
pleasure through the wide range of programming forms (Rikzana & Neelamalar, 2015).
Methodology
One of the major aims of this research is to study how CRs have helped empowering and educating women
through their shows/programs on issues relating to women and their daily lives. Thus, for the same I used
Content Analysis. This method is relevant in this study because it enables researcher to develop an insight into
the types of programs broadcast and further, its use by and for women. This method also provides this paper
with a critical lens to study how CR has the potential to reshape the lives of women. The CR’s chosen for this
study not only try to bring forth the problems of women by introducing shows and programs but also tell how
they act as an instrument in changing their lives. The CR’s have been selected randomly from each zone of India
i.e. North, East, West, South and Central. They have been listed down below in Table1. The study is mostly
based on Secondary Source: a Journal named “Community Radio for Change” by Young India and Action Aid,
along with some reports and websites.
Methodology
The sample size that I have chosen belongs to community radios in India that has been introduced and discussed in the literature review. In addition to this, these CR’s were chosen as a sample size for a number of reasons; first, all the selected stations are either run by women or have women as staff members and secondly, these stations run and introduce programs mostly to empower and educate people, mainly women, belonging to rural areas.
Title
CHAPTER 4 – ANALYSIS AND UNDERSTANDINGS OF CR’S IN INDIA
4.1 Analysis of CR’s
NORTH ZONE – I
WAQT KI AWAZ’s PROGRAM ON EMPOWERING WOMEN AGAINST OPEN DEFECATION
In rural areas, mostly, women are compelled to wait till nightfall or early morning to defecate, which not only
instigates health risks but also risk of life and violence. Keeping this in view, Waqt Ki Awaz started this
program named, “Ghar Ki Lutiya Khet Na Jaihe”, which literally means “Small jugs from the home won’t go to the farm”. The said program raised and initiated discussion on: -
- It helped to make rural people aware about the health problems women face because of open defecation
- It also drew special attention to the issues of safety and dignity of women due to open defecation
- It made people aware about bathroom facility for women within the household
- It even talked about how bathing and defecating in the open gives rise to privacy issues
- It stressed on how village girls are made to drop out of school/college once they start menstruating due to lack of toilet facilities in educational institutions
Data Analysis
While researching for the program it was found that many women, children and aged people avoided food to
keep away from toilet calls at night, more during winter and rainy seasons. Problem arises more when they felt
shy to share this problem with anyone and more so, no one ever asked them about it. To only add up to this
situation, women were always in tension because they had to dispose of faeces of children and aged people of
their family at night in remote areas alone.
The series not only discussed the problems but provided solution for the same. They suggested appropriate toilet technology in low cost toilets. Not only women but they had also been successful in starting a discussion among the men of the community on issues related to sanitation. Even young boys got sensitized about the sanitation problems that their mothers, sisters and friends faced, and above all they even convinced, sometimes even forced their elders for the construction of toilet in respective houses.
WEST ZONE – II
RUDI NO RADIO’s PROGRAM ON AUGMENTING LIVELIHOOD FOR BETTER WOMEN’S HEALTH
In villages, life is very difficult. A family cannot be dependent solely on only farming or any kind of labour
work. In rural areas, where women are mostly indulged in farming and domestic chores, Rudi Na Radio initiated
a program for them named, “Satvik Jeevan”, which literally means “Righteous Life”. This program, initiated
conversation on: -
- It made them aware of healthy and a good lifestyle
- It gave them information on organic farming and kitchen garden and how can they use it for improving their livelihood
- It also provided them with idea as to how they can use this for self consumption purpose
- It helped them to know how to use this method in increasing their income
Title
CENTRAL ZONE – III
Title
GREEN COMMUNITY RADIO’s PROGRAM ON CREATING A COMFORTABLE SOCIETY FOR WOMEN IN PERIOD
In rural areas, mostly, women are treated as untouchables, compelling them to live alone in a room, other than
their own, whenever they menstruate. They are not provided proper sanitation which not only instigates health
risks but also risk of life. Keeping this in view, Green Community Radio started this program named, “The
Unacceptable Truth – Menstruation”. The said program raised and initiated discussion on: -
- It created awareness among the people, both men and women on the topic of Menstruation
- It drew special attention of people who did not accept the fact that menstruation is a natural process which a girl goes through every month after reaching adolescence
- It also instigated women to speak about their periods without getting ashamed of it
- It even encouraged women to be open about their health issues and problems
EAST ZONE – IV
RADIO DHIMSA’s PROGRAM ON EMPOWERING WOMEN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE
For women, having a voice of their own and a representation of their own is very rare in rural areas. Being
dominated every time and everywhere by the men in their lives makes them gullible and aloof. Being a human
being, they have an equal right at life and decisions as their fellow men. Thus, to make this possible, Radio
Dhimsa launched a program titled, “Amar Sopon Su Sasan”, which literally means, “My dream is good
governance”. Designed for mothers, young girls & women of age group between 25 – 40 years old from tribal
villages, this program started conversations on: -
It highlighted the achievements & accomplishments of women SHGs, individuals and young girls
It focused on bringing equality among the genders in villages
It made special efforts to allow the voices of women to be heard in Gramsabhas & Palli Sabhas
It created awareness for women on government acts, rules, schemes of programs
SOUTH ZONE – V
Title
RADIO UNIVERSAL’s PROGRAM ON PROMOTING YOUNG WOMEN FOR PARTICIPATION
Women’s empowerment has always remained a not so important topic, more so in the rural areas. What people
don’t understand is that if women are not empowered then the whole system of life shall shut down. Thus,
prioritizing women’s opinion and say became one of the most important issues to be discussed for Radio
Universal, which on the same line initiated a program named, “Oh Gelathi?” , which literally means, “Oh
Woman?”. The said program initiated discussions on: -
- It created awareness amongst people for empowering women in India
- It reinforced the idea that women can not only be harbinger of change but also tough decision makers
- It addressed and discussed about many social barriers that women face in the society to establish
themselves.
- It explored the area of women’s safety & security in India
4.2 Post Analysis Understandings
After analyzing programs five of CR stations that not only have women as staff members but also try to focus
and make programs on issues related to women, it can be stated that they have successfully created awareness about everyday problems faced by women in their community and have also provided solutions on how those problems can be evaded. While Rudi Na Radio enhanced the participation of women in program production and created awareness among the women listeners about augmenting their lifestyle by using kitchen garden which shall lead to a significant change in their daily lives, Radio Universal proved to be useful to the listeners in motivating them on various issues such as good governance and active participation in gram sabhas. Radio
Title
Dhimsa for its part played an important role in social, economic, and political empowerment of women in its area. In terms of political empowerment, it helped them get to know the Panchayat representatives, to enable them to vote in the general elections. Whereas on the other hand, Waqt Ki Awaz and Green Community Radio educated and informed women on the problems related to open defecation and menstruation respectively.