Background Information
Baishakhy is a familiar face in Jhenaidah, and a more familiar voice. She joined Radio Jhenuk in January 2013 as a volunteer. She later became the host of Hello Jhenaidah, and now a full-time assistant producer and reporter for Radio Jhenuk. However, she prefers introducing herself as the first and only woman journalist of Jhenaidah. Baishakhy says ‘Radio Jhenuk’s ‘Hello Jhenaidah’ is basically a women’s and children’s program. Besides hosting it, I had to go to the field level to collect information. So when I was involved with the fellowship to work with women and children’s issues, I felt like it would be easy for me. But when I started, I saw it was not that easy. I used to go and collect lots of information and voxpops, but when I tried to make a report or feature, I would lose track – of what to keep, what to discard and how to link the information. People at the station used to help me. And then in the middle of the fellowship when I got a two-day orientation on journalism, I thought to myself what darkness I was in! Through her perseverance and hard work, Baishakhy has been able to get out of that darkness of ignorance. Radio Jhenuk did not have any news-based programs. A program called ‘Jhenuker Darpan’ (Mirror of Jhenuk) was started with Baishakhy’s reports and features, where she highlighted education for specially-abled children, suicidal tendencies among women, change of earning level of women through handicrafts, education system of children in the shelter (Asrayan) project, women labours in jute mills, struggling women of the potter community, early marriage, violence against women and such issues.
Baishakhy Khatun achieved the 1st position in Radio Category (under 18) for broadcasting an investigative report titled: “The children of ASRAYAN (the govt shelter village) program found less interested to come to the school” during the 10th Meena Media Award 2014 by UNICEF Bangladesh for her outstanding contribution in championing child rights
The majority of Bangladesh’s population is overwhelmingly rural. Yet stories in the national news revolve around the urban area that represent only one tenth of the area. Such bias against rural areas is also reflected in the limited women’s access to rural media. Very little attention has been given to the role of the news media in presenting issues related to rural areas in general and participation of women in rural media in particular.
In a poor country where gender disparity still exists on many fronts, despite laudable progresses in some MDGs, it is no surprise that women and women’s issues in the mainstream media are undermined. Women comprise 49 percent of Bangladesh’s population. Like the vast majority of people here they are concentrated in rural areas, where 111.2 million people – or 72 percent of the population – live. Their distance from policy-making urban centers casts a double cloak of invisibility over women. The absence of women and women’s issues in the media is a dangerous trend in a country that ranked 142nd out of 187 states in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s most recent Gender Inequality Index (GII), making Bangladesh one of the worst performers in the Asia-Pacific region.
In spite of the social and religious barriers such scenario in gender disparity, particularly in media, has been gradually changing. Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) under the banner of ‘voices of the rural people,’ has been in the forefront in breaking the traditional biased focus towards urban areas. The organization, since 2000, played a leading role in bringing media’s focus on rural areas. Community Radio, being the only broadcasting media in rural Bangladesh not only broke the traditions but also spearheaded in creating a platform for women journalists from grassroots to raise their voices to be heard in the community. Because of their empowerment majority of the programmes of the women friendly community radio stations are designed for the most marginalized people of the society – women.
In Bangladesh now 16 community radio stations are on air in the country aiming to ensure empowerment and right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting a total of 125 hours program per day on information, education, local entertainment and development motivation activities. Around 5.6 million people are listening the programs. A total of 1000 broadcasters are now working with those stations throughout the country; half of them are women.
Fellowship and capacity-building initiatives adopted by BNNRC have resulted in a flood of women filling the posts of producers, anchors, newscasters, reporters and station managers in 16 community radio stations around the country.
Women in Community Media
Goals and Timeframe
“I was born and brought up in such a family; where there was no scope to even think of being a journalist. Now I can dream of becoming a full-time professional journalist and to prove that one can go a far; I believe that everyone has power and potential to grow and the identity like “women” is not an obstacle for that”-told 20-year old Shahrina Sultana Jui, a fellow from Community Radio Borendro of Naogaon district, who has just completed her fellowship tenure. Community media can strengthen participatory decision-making process by creating opportunities for expression of opinion from people of different class and profession of the society. Community media can contribute in community empowerment process by being the direct media for exchange and access to information for all. In particular, participation of women in media is an agenda for today aiming women empowerment, reduction of social inequality, capacity development and to make easy their access to information. The program: “Youth women in Community Media and Journalism”, a fellowship program has been launched with these theoretical aspects into consideration. Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), in cooperation with Free Press Unlimited (a Netherland based International organization), has started this program in 2013 in community radio station areas, with the objectives-
i) to facilitate in creating an enabling environment for the young women to be enrolled in the media and journalism to develop as professional community media journalists and
ii) to encourage more young skilled women to be enrolled in the media to work for the development of rural communities.
Recently Fellowship Program has completed the 3rd batch and the process of selecting the 4th batch is underway. A total of 35 young women from Dalits and unprivileged community in 16 community Radio Stations were awarded for 3rd batch fellowship program starting from March 2015.24 community media women fellows have already been completed this course in two previous batches. Altogether the number of total fellows in three batches stands 59.
“Call for application” from the interested local youth women was the initial step of fellowship program. The notice was served through community radio and by using notice board of local college and press club. Responding to the “Call”, interested candidates submitted their applications from 16 community radio stations of the country. Through an interview process and in consideration of the applicants’ qualification, experience and interest, fellows have been finally selected.
Fellowship program is formally started after receiving recruitment letters by the fellows. The recruited fellows, oriented by BNNRC, start their works under the guidance of a mentor from each station. An experienced and senior level CR staff plays the role of a mentor. The fellows prepare and produce news/reports/feature/case study/human profile. They broadcast these reports and features through radio and publish in local newspapers. BNNRC organizes orientation program for the fellows and mentors at the beginning and organize a knowledge sharing (& lessons learned) workshop at the end of the fellowship-tenure of each batch.
During their internship the fellows have developed, produced and broadcast 06 news bulletin, case study, life sketch each in a month. Beside they published article, interview, features, spot report in the local newspapers.12 women fellows of the 1st batch, in their tenure of 3 months, broadcasted 144 reports through community radio and published 72 articles in local newspapers. The 12 fellows of the next batch already broadcasted 244 audio programs and published 144 reports in local newspaper in their duration of 6 months. They (35 fellows of 3rd batch) broadcasted altogether 420 audio programs and prepared 280 reports for local newspaper within 4 months duration of the fellowship. These programs and reports covered the issues like education of girl and children, their access, women empowerment, child marriage, mother & child’s health, adolescent health, disability, transgender, ethnic, and dalits news and some success story. These reflected the present situation of the disadvantaged community, especially present lives of rural women and children.