[Ict4ruralwomeninafrica] WINETS EXPERIENCE BY MIRIAM

[Women Information Network]

Dear All,
WINET works in an Igbo speaking area located in South East Nigeria, Enugu
State in particular.Women in the communities here are mainly illiterate and
we use interpersonal communication in passing on campaign messages to women
on issues including but not limited to e.g voter/civic education, FGC,safe
motherhood and HIV/AIDS. It is during these interactive fora that we also
receive the womens expressions of their issues and concerns. We use some of
their comments on vox pop on some of the issues broadcast on radio as part
of stories from the events. Eventhough many of the local women do not hear
their voices , community members report to them that they were heard. In
Ugwogo Nike community where we have a radio listerners group, the women did
not listen to the radio previously,because they do not have one in their
homes, but since our project in October 2003, they have developed interest.
PATHS/DFID which is supporting the radio programme "Diary of Persons Living
With HIV/AIDS" provided a radio set for the women to listen to the
programme. They hear a female PLWHA talking and they are getting more
interested in the radio, overwhelmed by the courage of the lady who shares
her story in  the local dialect. For us here the most accessible medium is
radio and it will lend itself better in reaching the rural women. We also
use pictures from the events in our organisations newsletter,
those who are literate enough read while the illiterate ones are just too
happy seeing themselves in pictures.
We do not have community radios here yet, I believe it will help in enabling
rural women to access the local media and use it to their advantage.

I hope this makes sense.
Miriam Menkiti
Women Information Network (WINET) Nigeria
P. O. BOX 763, Enugu, 400001 Enugu State,
Nigeria