[Ict4ruralwomeninafrica] Moving on to the next questions

[Women Information Network]

Dear All, Here is my response.
>
> *What are the opportunities and challenges facing rural information
> centres?
I agree with Sylvie on a lot of points that she made. Informat6ion center
will help a lot in disseminating information to rural women.However,  For us
here, I think I know of just one rural information center in a neighbouring
state, but I do not know if it is working well. In Enugu State where I work
in the communities, the Ministry of Information has rural information
officers but I do not know how they are working. I am of the opinion that
there is a need to set up rural information centers specifically to provide
information to women. They can go there to seek information on a wide range
of issues including economic activities, where to receive micro credit,
democracy, citizens participation in politics. From my experience during our
voter education in communities in Enugu State, the women asked a lot of
questions about their rights as voters and the right to choose or vote for
candidates of their choice. After we responded , they said they did not know
these things before, for instance they just realised that only they
themselves could decide who to vote for in an election.They also asked
questions on how to deal with domestic violence. If there were existing
information centers, which open maybe thee or four times a week in the
communities, they can always go there to clarify issues. It will be
necessary to provide materials in the local dialect in addition to materials
in English a few literate ones such as readers could read. Otherwise
interpersonal communication in the local dialect by the center staff would
make illiterate women to feel relaxed to to seek information or advise.
Since rural women are not familiar with such sources of information, it will
be necessary to engage in advocacy to encourage them to visit the
information center. A lot of information is received from the radio, but the
culture of listening is not there. Before we formed a womens radio
listerners group in rural Ugwogo Nike to listen to a radio programme Diary
of persons living with HIV/AIDS, we asked them whether they would listen and
they responded that if a radio set was provided they would listen. Since
they started listening in October 2003, they say they have learnt a lot.They
are now beginning to understand what amount of useful inforamtion, they
could get from the radio programmes. So specially packaged programmes
offering a wide range of information targetted at rural women could be
produced and they would be provided radio sets so they can listen in
groups.From the listening groups they will send questions asking the
producer to respond to them. That way one can ascertain what kind of
information will be useful to them.

>
> *How can these information centres be used to facilitate
> rural women's development?
> They will use information they have received from the centers to improve
the life of their families and the society. For instance, if one learns that
once you spot during pregnancy, you should go to a trained health personnel
for assistance, the person can use the information to save a pregnancy, or
offer an advice to someone who experiences such.
> *What strategies and processes have worked in the different contexts
> where you work/live, in making existing public access infrastructure
> more accessible for women and inclusive of their concerns?
Radio announcements and programmes by NGOs and the Ministrey of Women
Affairs directing women on where to go to seek help has worked well.
Advocacy/community outreach visits to women in rural areas has worked.
Workshops/trainingshave helped to direct women to organisations that do what
eg where to get legal aid, micro credit et al.

Miriam Menkiti
>