Have a conversation with the men for them to understand the important and benefit their women will aquire during field work. And when the opportunity is given to you try to separate the women from the men during field discussion.
Benjamin K homadzi from lorlornyo fm in hohoe , that is my contribution
The discussion about Gender have been so good and interesting.
I would like to put up my learning on gender programs. I came to learn that women when they have created ownership of the program from the begining is when they will open up and feel free to participate into the program.
They are very talented with different formats which are good spices into our programs,like songs,poems,dramas etc. You will find broadcasters miss traditional songs or relevant music to the farmers and use Bongo flava’s and annoy farmers as a result they won’t listen to the farmer program
The most important to them is to respect them, give them the enough time to learn from them when you visit them at the rural,rather than you arrive and start discussions or interviews take time with them.
Most of broadcasters fails to involve women into the programs ,for the reason that they fear or don’t open up, may be we skip to harmonize with the.
The topic is about gender and I have been saying about women . Into the program we both! Women and Men,but you find that women are left behind.
Let us ensure that even them are included.
Thanks
Hi Benjamin, as concerns your case you need to have a strategic plan carefully draft to help change the mindset of the men where you resite. You must be mindful and understand how to relate with the people to balance up.
Thank you for sharing with everyone the weeks Barza Wire resource on addressing gender equality in our farmer programmes.This will go a long way into building our capacity as Broadcasters in handling Gender issues in our programmes. At the end of this course, Kapchorwa Trinity Radio-KTR 94.1 FM will register positive changes, in the weekly farmer programme.
RASHID
@BenjaminHomadzi. Gender issues in radio broadcast and programming are geared towards ensuring both males and females are given equal opportunity to participate in any given activity.
Changing attitudes and behavior in a society is a process and not an event. In your situation patience and perseverance are required. You need to adopt an approach that would build trust for you and the different sexes and as time goes on the change would come but steadily.
You could achieve this by having a discussion on gender roles with male farmers and female farmers separately first and then a mixed group.
From these discussions, the males and females would appreciate each other roles and you highlight how nice it would be for both to partner and contribute to the discussion as time might not always allow for a separate engagement.
Some men are afraid of empowered women, so let the men understand it is for their own good to have their women empowered as the world is moving in that direction and they can not afford to be left out in the benefits thereof.
By your name you are a male so you could also try engaging the women using a female colleague and as trust is built you withdraw the female colleague and carry on with the project.
In most communities now we have women leaders " Magaziyas" and Queen mothers. These people could also assist if you first contact and explain to them to get their buy-in and endorsement.
Always ensure you have both sexes represented in your programs and activities.
There was this project to empower women fish-mongers and traders along the coastal belt. The project implementers maybe did not understand gender very well and understood gender to mean women only.
They resourced the women with funds to expand their operations. They did not engage the fisher-men or gave them any assistance. The men therefore, assumed the women now had more money and increased the prices of fish by 100%. This was how the project failed because the women could not afford the increase in price. Had the men were involved it would have been a different story and maybe a successful project.
In gender programs and activity tact and trust-building are required to establish a relationship and cooperation among the sexes.
Mikepac715, I read your contribution and found good tips on how broadcasters can prepare interview with someone with specific knowledge such as an extension officer. Lets all try to use these tips.
1 Like
Rashid Muzungyo are my names, from Kapchorwa Trinity Radio, Here is My other contribution on, what kind of collaboration is necessary to make sure radio programs address gender issues and include women? Do you have any examples from your own work you can share?
Multi-sectoral collaboration is necessary to make sure that radio programmes address gender issues and include women. Non Government, individual farmers, Government agencies like the departments of agriculture, veterinary, commerce, religious organizations and farmers should collaborate to ensure that voices of women are included during radio programmes.
While implementing the Forest Land Restoration programme, KTR station management and stakeholders in the project area ensured that women voices featured in almost all the programmes. It was always a question, from the station manager demanding to know whether the women voices had been captured before the programme went on air.
1 Like
Thank you Benjamin for the question. I would request that you interview women in groups and I believe you will register success. From experience, women speak freely whenever they are together in a group. The other idea is move with a female broadcaster to the field… Look into the location of the interview. Let everyone know about the importance of the interview. In our station, we experienced such problems, but we solved them using this approach. I thank you.
Rashid from Kapchorwa Trinity Radio, in Eastern Uganda.
2 Likes
Hi Rashid,
Thanks for finding that post very interesting. My joy is to see us all succeed as we keep sharing ideas. Lets keep talking it will certainly pay-off some day.
2 Likes
Very true Rashid.we did the same thing here at Ejura and it was successful.
1 Like
Thanks Busi for the chance to contribute on how to serve gender these are some of my observation,
- Identify women as farmers, not as the wives of
farmers though in the communities they regarded as wives and men are farmers,so recognize them as a broadcasters and appreciate on their hard work they do . - During interviews or any discussion peak to them
by name—they are individuals. - Ask their opinions on important farming matters.
•Showcase success stories that present a diversity of gender roles, for example, of women involved in growing cash crops or of men involved in decisions around family health.
Also make sure you put their contribution on air if you interviewed men and women ,give priority to women on air
Thank you Yakubu! The cultural implication of gender and social inclusion cannot be over emphasized. Most culture of some communities around the world have gradually relaxed their hard stand on gender related issues. The resistance witness when gender discussions were introduced into Africa few years ago has weakened and I am sure this will soon reach your village/
Even in Uganda many women with knowledge and experts shy away to talk due to pressure from the husband, i dont know how best this challenge could be addressed
Jaskello , kindly go through the previous messages you will get the solution.
Women groups can also be a useful platform in using the media to reach out to women. It makes it easy and assesible to harvest ideas and feedback.
Another effective approach is to train women in radio presentation. We now have literate farmers who are women and if they are allowed to handle either a segment or a full program, it will give them media ownership and they can be assured they have a voice
Collaboration is very important in all radio station because it helps to address issues in farming and other societal issues like the gender equality