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Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
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Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Appendix
Fourth conference on women
Resolution 1325
Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination

Chapter 19

SEWA’s Community Radio Experiences

By Arefabanu Momin

Background

SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association) Academy in India has been working in the field of communication for the past 20 years but one medium that remain untouched was radio. So in March of 2005, our first program was telecast by Ahmedabad Baroda radio station.

Since then, the the program is running on every Saturday without failure and addressing important needs such as:

• Village women want information on SEWA and its program. Since SEWA’s programs are women oriented, women in the village get all this information by just sitting in her house.

• During Riots and natural calamity people mostly relay on the information from Radio, which is one of most reliable medium for true information.

• Radio is such a medium, which can reach to the women of the remote villages.

• Community radio is possible but the out reach of community tends to be restricted to one community only, so SEWA wanted to reach masses.

• By telecasting in state Radio the program can be hear all over the state of Gujarat.

• SEWA’s programs are implemented at the grassroot level and its team has experience of grassroots reality. But still there were long discussions on how the program should be telecast. It was finally decided that it should be on drama style presentation and has now become very interesting because the voice people identifies the character.

Major highlights of the program

• A special program that moves around the life of all people.

• Taking up women issues related to health and hygiene, reproductive health.

• The program relates to the environment. During rainy season the program is on sowing seeds. During summer when too much hot wind is blowing tthe program is on how to take care of our body. During cattle breeding, what important things one has to keep in mind during cattle delivery.

• Social issues are also taken up in the program such as thewasted expenditures on different social customs such as marriage, feast after death, drinking program etc.

• We have done research on impact of our Radio program on the communities. The result was astonishing. People loved and admired the program very much, most listeners hear the program without fail. We have received more than 1000 letters. We also got feed back that listeners needed information on how to start micro enterprises.

• Aids is fast spreading disease in India, and as people do not have proper information, we have prepared programs giving detailed information.

• In house team is working in Radio.In the beginning an outside consultant helped with script writing, untillin house capacity was built.

Listeners’ voices

“I ritualistically sit with my husband, father-in-law while broadcast of Rudi no Radio takes place. . When onus understands increases they move forward. And that is what I feel about your radio program. Every day is a struggle for every individual, especially in the village areas and one of the messages I hear from your program is about courage and strength. You have to be strong and brave in the face of adversity in order to move forward,” says Jotsnaben Thakkor, Anand Gujarat.

“In my village most of the people listen to Rudi no Radio, young people and women are the main listeners. The information regarding employment opportunity, savings and insurance are very useful to us,” reports Mahedra bhai D. Parmer from Panchamehel district of Gujarat.

“I liked this program. I like almost all the programs but this program on wastefull money expenditure on marriage I liked most of all. Your suggestion regarding group marriage for cutting down the cost is important. I am going to get married soon but I will opt for group marriage,” says Rupal B Patel from Sabarkhatha District of Gujarat.

“According to your suggestion during this time of epidemic, we are boiling the drinking water and we are filtering the water, washing the pot every day and we have asked the concerned person to add powder to the government water tank, then everyone in the village can get clean water,” says Dinesh bhai from Bhavanager District of Gujarat.

© 2005-2009 AMARC