We worked in partnership with a range of Indian NGOs, All India Radio and the BBC Hindi Service to train and support 12 women from rural areas to produce a community radio programme about sexual health and women's empowerment.
Start date: October 2006
End date: October 2007
Media type: radio
Issues: health, governance and human rights
Country: India
Being selected as a reporter was the opportunity I had been yearning for...
Rekha Devi, citizen journalist, Aangan Ke Paar
Aangan Ke Paar ('Beyond the Courtyard'), a 30-minute weekly radio programme, was made by and for rural women in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
It aimed to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in the context of women's empowerment, and became a platform for the voices of rural women.
"When my three children started school, I was desperate to do something for my community. Being selected as a reporter was the opportunity I had been yearning for..."
Rekha Devi, citizen journalist, Aangan Ke Paar
Training
I had to overcome several personal challenges to take part in the initial training
Rekha Devi, citizen journalist, Aangan Ke Paar
We trained twelve women, all involved in development work, in the basics of journalism and radio reporting.
The women learned how to use mini-disk recorders and participated in workshops on editorial ethics and best practice.
"I had to overcome several personal challenges to take part in the initial training. Many people, including my husband, objected to me working outside the home and pointed fingers at my morals and character."
Dekha Devi, citizen journalist, Aangan Ke Paar
Citizen journalism
The entire journey has been about strengthening our self-confidence
Usha Devi, citizen journalist, Aangan Ke Paar
Once the training was complete, the women returned to their communities, where they covered issues such as women's participation in local government, early marriage and the ability to negotiate safe sex.
Aangan Ke Paar included interviews, reports, short features and discussion, and encouraged audience participation.
Twenty eight programmes were produced in total.
"The entire journey has been about strengthening our self-confidence."
Usha Devi, citizen journalist, Aangan Ke Paar
Listeners groups
Forty-three groups were organised in collaboration with non-governmental organisations in the three states.
The groups brought together 645 women to listen, discuss and feedback on the programme.
Research and impact
Reach
During the six months it was on air, Aangan Ke Paar was broadcast on more than 20 All India Radio stations - across three states - reaching a total of 10 million listeners. Sixty per cent were women.
A shorter version of the programme was also broadcast on the BBC Hindi service, reaching a potential audience of 14 million people, 80% in rural areas.
Impact
A quantitative survey of 2,151 randomly selected people from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh was carried out to asses the impact of Aangan Ke Paar.
Qualitative research was also conducted with 210 participants from 21 listener groups from across the three project states.
- 68% of Aangan Ke Paar listeners as compared to 58% of non listeners knew that HIV infection could be prevented by always using a condom during sexual intercourse
- 36% of Aangan Ke Paar listeners as compared to 26% of non listeners reported that 'having sex with one single partner' is one of the ways of preventing HIV infection
Working in partnership
Partnerships were established with 25 non-governmental organisations and State AIDS Control Societies in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
These partners helped design, develop and test a multimedia 'toolkit' - KissaGoi ('The Art of Storytelling') - in Hindi and English.
The toolkit consists of 11 audiovisual films, supplementary material and a user manual (available in English or Hindi).
It was designed to help local NGOs initiate and stimulate discussions about HIV and AIDS in their communities.
Two thousand toolkits were produced and over 30 representatives from the 25 partner NGOs were trained how to use them.
Awards
Aagan Ke Par was runner up in the Asia Pacific Millennium Development Goals Media Awards.
The awards are jointly sponsored by UNESCAP, the UN Development Programme and the Asian Development Bank to encourage media reports that put a human face on the Millennium Development Goals.
The competition, organized by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) and judged by an international panel of media professionals, attracted over 100 entries from 23 countries.
