Women Speaking to Women is another UNESCO project which directly addresses the Toronto Platform of Action for Women Communication Professionals as well as the empowerment of women. It does so through the creation of grass-roots radio stations, a proposal adopted at the fourth United Nations World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. The project has also become part of the Femmed-Wommed Network, established through UNESCO's assistance.
Women Speaking to Women will be set up in four less developed countries in regions such as Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. These rural community radio stations are designed for and run by women. The goal is to integrate these programs on the everyday lives of women in the community while responding to their needs and concerns by providing practical advice on literacy, health, child care, improved agricultural methods, vocational training, job opportunities, and the role of women in the implementation of development policies. This will also enable women to voice and exchange their opinions and develop their cultural interests and creativity.
The first radio station to emerge from the project began its broadcast in March of this year, in Goensi, a village in the Caribbean. The station is currently run by the Women's Foundation NGO, Koni Ku Libi (live wise to survive), which was created in 1992 by local women from the village.
Materials to build the station were mainly provided by the German Embassy and the Foundation, with technical support from Telesur. Although the radius of the signal (coverage of the station) is still limited, it is expected to increase in the near future. The station presently counts with six hours of programming, which accommodate to the local women's schedules. Training for the station staff was provided to everyone's needs, from the very basics, including maintenance, to innovative production techniques. A second training session is to begin in July.
Radio Toco is the second and most recent community radio station to emerge from the Women Speaking to Women project. The facility is being installed in the far North Eastern region of Trinidad. The station is expected to be fully operational by the end of July of 1997. The programs to be produced and broadcast will focus on issues concerning the local community with an emphasis in the promotion of women and gender.
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Within a two year time frame, UNESCO expects to have four fully operational radio stations, along with the methodology to set up low cost-cost community radio stations. FemMeNet looks forward to reporting the inauguration of future community radio stations.
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