#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 6

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

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

Gwendolyn Gay L. Gaongen, Station Manager, Radyo Sagada, International Association of Women in Radio and Television – Philippines

Radyo Sagada is not just led by a woman, the core group of broadcasters are women, and despite the very dangerous political climate for journalists in the Philippines, the authorities apparently recognize the station’s importance for community development – despite their oftentimes inconvenient truths being shared.

Gwen is the station manager of the Radyo Sagada – a de-facto women’s station. Gwen takes us through the gestation process of the station and why it – the only indigenous community radio station in the Philippines – has such a strong women’s focus.

While women struggle to have an appropriate space in most other community radio stations in the Philippines – due to tradition and culture – Radyo Sagada is seen as a development dynamo due to women’s strong engagement.

The station has been on air since 2011 and Gwen has been on of the radio team since then. Conceptualized in 2003, it only went on air in an experimental mode in 2010 and for real in 2011. It is the Philippines’ only indigenous peoples’ radio located in the mountain province, the Condillera, in the north of the main Luzon island.

In the podcast Gwen unfolds how this all has developed. Gwen talks about the how the dangerous situation for journalists in the Philippines including red-tagging influences Radyo Sagada, and why despite threats, they stay on as as it is so important in a reality with and only 60 % literacy rate.

Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/gwendolyn-gay-l-gaongen/

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.

#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.

#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 4

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

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

Karolina Rogóz-Namiotka, Poland, Radio UWM, Olsztyn

Karolina’s programme focuses on supporting women to be strong and self-defined – to be able to lead the lives they want, with good and supportive women and men!

The guests of Karolina Rogóz-Namiotko are female soldiers, psychologists, priests, cooks, dressmakers, entrepreneurs, presidents, mothers, etc. The host of the show, Karolina, believes that a woman who acts with passion and commitment is able to inspire more women to change for the better. It is a program about self-development, self-acceptance and self-esteem.

Karolina Rogóz-Namiotko explains how important this program is for her “meeting other women gives me a lot of energy and great sisterly love”.

Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/karolina-rogiz-namiotko/

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.

#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 3

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

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

Jimena Lopez, Argentina

Jimena Lopez, broadcaster and assembly member of the community radio La Tribu FM, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Jimena Lopez has been a part of the station for nearly ten years, where she has had many different roles. Right now she is a part of the station’s communication team, responsible for Social media and other communication activities. She is also in the Station’s assembly made up by 20 core people, responsible for overall management, which meets up every second month.

La Tribu started in 1989 and has been going uninterrupted since. Since 2006, when the new communication and media law in Argentina legalized community media as the third sector with íts own regulations, La Tribu has been on air, legally. Jimena says that whereas the station is not a women’s station, it has a feminist approach in most of what it does.

La Tribu is run by a collective of around 20 assembly members, who take turns on the many different administrative, practical and programmatic areas. The assembly members also work in the editorial groups, which also count many community members who come to the station, and take part in the ongoing training activities. Often, they are then, thereafter, effectively, softly integrated into the editorial teams, if and when they so wish.

The station therefore never has a shortage of community broadcasters – and considers itself, sustainable. Part of the financial sustainability is secured through providing access to organisations who want to run their own programmes. When within the values and principles of the station, they can do so, and they pay for airtime and for rent of the studios. This secures a minimum financial basis along with projects that the station is a part of.

Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/jimena-lopez/

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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.

#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 2

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

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

Fernanda Maria, Radio Liberdade, Dili, Timor Leste

Since 2016 Fernanda Maria has worked on a special programme on ‘Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls and Gender-Based Violence’ which she tells about in the podcast. Recent research documents that 60% of women in Timor Leste have been exposed to violence in their lives. The theme is a priority in Radio Liberdade.

Fernanda Maria has worked for 12 years in Radio Liberdade, a community radio in Dili, the capital of Timer Leste. Radio Liberdade works with the ‘Fundacão Media Development Centre’ to support women’s voices in the media and the voices of other underrepresented groups. Presently Maria also provides Journalism Training on Gender Sensitive Reporting

Radio Liberdade is one of some 15 community radio stations, struggling for survival, as Fernanda tells us – but she and her station have some ideas about how to turn the stations sustainable! Despite the challenges, new stations appear, not least because the spoken word is so important in a reality with and only a 60 % literacy rate.

Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/fernanda-maria-radio-liberdade…/

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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.

#16Days: Women’s Voices Breaking the Silence – Day 1

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

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

Catherine Vhutuza, Zimbabwe

Catherine Vhutuza is a broadcaster at the Vemuganga Community Radio reporting on women’s participation in the community of Chipinge – inspired by the powerful programmes that Catherine and colleagues share on air.

Catherine tells about how Gender-based Violence – GBV as she often refers to it in the interview – is an important and intensely covered subject on the station as well as land rights, which often sees women, especially single women or widows, not getting the compensation for land that men do, when it is confiscated by the state for mining or other industrial purposes.

There is a strong involvement of community members in many different ways that reflect the interest of the Ndau community, and they ensure that members are heavily involved in the management and direction of Vemuganga Community Radio. Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/catherine-vhutuza-womens-rights…/

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.

Creating Safe and Productive Spaces for Women Media Professionals

by Shansel Mbaku

A Report on the Regional Conference of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT)

The International Association for Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) is a prominent global network dedicated to empowering women in the media industry. With a strong emphasis on training, digitalization, and ensuring the safety of women in media, IAWRT serves as a pivotal platform for advocating gender equality, fostering professional growth, and advocating for a free press that contributes to democracy.

IAWRT Cameroon chapter head Becky Bissong speaking to the media on Day 1 of the Regional Conference.

On November 16th and 17th, 2023, IAWRT organized a highly significant regional conference at Franco Hotel in Yaounde, Cameroon. The conference successfully brought together more than 50 journalists from various regions of the country, representing diverse backgrounds and expertise. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication and UN Women, the event aimed to address the pressing need for creating safe and productive spaces for women media professionals.

The central theme of the 2023 IAWRT Regional Conference, “Creating Safe and Productive Spaces for Women Media Professionals,” encompassed a comprehensive agenda.

The focal point was to equip women media professionals with cutting-edge skills and data, enabling them to carry out their tasks with confidence and peace of mind. By presenting the latest industry insights and providing valuable training opportunities, this conference aimed to empower women journalists to overcome challenges and thrive in their careers.

The conference comprised a series of interactive sessions that facilitated dynamic exchanges between distinguished panelists and active participants. These sessions provided valuable insights on various topics, including strategies to prevent gender-based violence, ethical capacity building to unlock our full potential, and the available resources to support women who have experienced online violence, such as the Women Empowerment Safe Spaces and UN Women spaces. Moreover, the sessions encouraged knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration among the attendees.

Overall, the IAWRT regional conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, served as a significant milestone in advancing gender equality and empowering women in the media industry. Through its interactive sessions, the conference not only provided valuable insights on pressing issues but also promoted a culture of sharing and collaboration. By equipping women media professionals with the necessary skills and resources, the conference aimed to create an inclusive and diverse media landscape where women can thrive and contribute their utmost potential.

Acknowledgments:

– IAWRT: Tchonko Becky Bissong, Patience Wingo, Raziah Quallatein Mwawanga, Ruth Enjeh

– Open Dreams: Bill Agha Njoh, Prince Donald Forghab, Shansel Mbaku, Krystie Makoubo, Epiphanie Ngasoh, Fabiola Darriska, Emmanuel Joseph illirimi

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