#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 5

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

16 women working with community radio to strengthen the voices and lives of women in their area

Siphathisiwe Ncube, Zimbabwe, Radio Ntepe-Manama, Gwanda

Siphathisiwe has worked with Ntepe-Manama Community Radio based in Gwanda, Matabeleland South , Zimbabwe for 10 years.

In Sipathisiwe’s reality it used to be seen as normal that women were exposed to violence. They were surprised and empowered by the station sharing information about their human rights – also in this area?

Since 2013 the community has been organising, training and advocating for access to get licenses.

The station finally got its licence and sending permission in 2022 as one of the first community radios to go on air in Zimbabwe. During the almost 10 year period prior to this, the community brought out community news and information via whats app, facebook and twitter.

As Siphathisiwe says in the interview, the station is based in the deep rural area of Matabeleland South where there used to be no or very little reliable local information, and where people had difficulty getting other news as well. The Ntepe Manama Community Radio has all along taken upon itself to make up for this – and grateful now to finally be on air. The more than 20.000 active listeners bears witness to this fact. But listen in – there is a lot more!

Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/sphatiziwe/

EMPOWERHOUSE lanuches its contribution to the 16-day campaign by sharing 16 women’s community radio stories: unfolding how each broadcaster has been seeing positive change for women and girls – working intensely to eliminate violence against women and girls.