Extension services in many African countries are more accessible to male farmers, despite the fact that women are often more involved in food production than men. Women need consistent access to reliable and relevant information if they are to become more resilient to the challenges faced by all small-scale farmers. Moreover, they need the opportunity to add their voices, questions and comments to the conversation around agriculture and food security.
Local radio programs, designed with women in mind, can provide women with the information they need to help them increase harvests and incomes. They can also share the voices of women with thousands of listeners. With the support of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Farm Radio International will provide hundreds of women with the skills and confidence to tell their own story on the radio, their way. It’s radio for women, by women.
A training event will bring together women from community listening groups across Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda to learn the mobile technologies and radio skills to record their own comments, questions and stories and to share them with radio broadcasters. Twelve radio stations will also receive training to build their capacity around gender equality in farmer programming. They will be encouraged to air the comments, questions and stories of women, and to ensure women’s issues are discussed on air during regular programming.