Today is World Radio Day. The day was established by UNESCO as a means “to celebrate radio as a medium; to improve international cooperation between broadcasters; and to encourage major networks and community radio alike to promote access to information, freedom of expression and
Today is World Radio Day. The day was established by UNESCO as a means “to celebrate radio as a medium; to improve international cooperation between broadcasters; and to encourage major networks and community radio alike to promote access to information, freedom of expression and gender equality over the airwaves”.
The power of radio is indisputable. According to UNESCO you can find a radio in the homes of 75% of the world population. It is the medium that reaches the largest audience worldwide. Those living in rural areas in the developing world have limited access to computers and internet access – radio is often the only effective means available to reach them. Radios are inexpensive, portable, lightweight and run on batteries – important in places where electricity is unreliable.
Many women and men in Esquipulas and the surrounding rural communities are illiterate. The majority of the women who came to the Colectivo for help in the last two years have not studied beyond the second grade. One out of every five women in Nicaragua over the age of ten is unable to read or write. So you can’t get to them through newsletters, brochures, or books, but you can through the radio.
I was told that it was only within the last five years that mobile phones were being widely used in Esquipulas and internet arrived just within the last two years. There is one cyber cafe in town and I don’t know of any residents that have the internet in their homes. Many people here don’t have social media accounts or even an email address. Electricity comes and goes without warning.
Currently the only radio stations in Esquipulas are run by the local churches. The Colectivo is hoping to step in to provide a much needed resource. They are in the process of developing a community radio station that will be run by women and young people whose content will not be dictated by religious beliefs.
The Colectivo’s radio station will serve five main purposes:
1) To produce an entertaining soap opera that will educate listeners on issues of importance to them, such as health, education and violence against women. Young people and women in Esquipulas and the surrounding rural communities will help produce the content – giving voice to marginalized populations.
2) To advance women’s knowledge of their rights. The radio station will provide a public forum for discussion and learning about ways to end violence against women and women’s access to justice and legal aid.
3) To provide vocational radio training and development programs for young people and women. Women are underrepresented in media roles in Latin America. The Colectivo wants to change this.
4) To report serious incidents of violence against women and to denounce organizations that do not comply with the law or that discriminate against women.
5) To rent airtime on the radio to local organizations as a means to generate much needed ongoing income for the Colectivo.
The Colectivo has already received a grant from the organization Hivos International for this project, but they need a lot more to make it a reality. The equipment must be purchased, the station must be licensed and personnel need to be trained. The biggest difficulty the Colectivo faces is their lack of financial resources. Most charities around the world deal with this challenge, but it feels more acute here in the developing world. The Colectivo used to receive considerable funding from Catholic organizations in North America, but this was pulled due to their pro-choice stance on abortion. I don’t know if the radio station will become a reality. I hope it does and soon, because it would do so much good.