Scaling Her Voice on Air

Bringing interactive radio to more than 2 million women farmers in West Africa

Credit: Yaya Coulibaly

Scaling Her Voice on Air

Bringing interactive radio to more than 2 million women farmers in West Africa

The context

Africa’s small-scale farmers, particularly women, produce food for their families and communities, yet they are among the most vulnerable to malnutrition and poverty. Agriculture can be a driver of food security, employment, women’s empowerment and economic development as well as improved nutrition. But many farmers have limited access to good information, technology and services, about these topics, and women especially often have even less access to — or influence over — these.

Our approach

Quality information and communication services can help women and men farmers make changes that improve their lives and livelihoods. In the Scaling Her Voice on Air project, radio is being used to share good and gender-sensitive agricultural information and amplify the voices of farmers, especially women, so that they can exchange ideas with each other and with other stakeholders in their communities. Women, particularly, are being engaged, so that they can be leaders and fully participate in the food and nutrition security of their families and communities.

Through this project, we are producing specific radio series to address issues associated with gender equality, where we are exploring topics related to women's rights, decision-making, sharing the workload within the household and more.

Results so far

broadcast

0

Radio stations
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0M+

People reached
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0K

Mobile interactions

Gender equality

This project was specially designed to achieve gender transformative results. This includes addressing topics such as gender-based violence, gender roles, and women's rights.

This project also features the following gender-sensitive approaches:

  • Her Voice on Air radio design
  • Women's community listening groups
  • Women's participation in topic choices through formative research
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This project is made possible through financial support of the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada.

Project snapshot

  • Duration: 5 years, 2019-2023
  • Budget: $4.9M CAD
  • Radio stations: 61
  • Languages: Twi, Bambara, French
Exploring the Potential for Interactive Radio to Improve Accountability and Responsiveness to Small-scale Farmers in Tanzania

“We listen as a community. When we listen together, we support each other. We understand better.”

Diabou Wandia,
Head of women's group in Sare Demba Diéo, Senegal

Project goals

Ultimate outcome: Improved gender equality and food security among men and women smallholder farmers living in poverty, especially women and youth, in the targeted regions of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Senegal

Intermediate outcomes:

  • 61 radio stations providing quality interactive radio services
  • 25% of listeners apply new good agricultural or nutritional practices
  • 15% of listeners apply new gender-transformative practices

Immediate outcomes:

  • 40% of listeners have increased their knowledge of good agriculture-nutrition practices, agricultural value chains and market opportunities
  • 122 radio station personnel have improved capacity to deliver high quality interactive radio
  • 655,200 interactions via mobile phone