New radio programmes for women soon to be broadcast in the Sahel

At a meeting held at the premises of Radio Challenge, Seydou Souley Mahamadou, the Managing Director of Impact Com.Média (ICM), and the managers of the 12 community radio stations ratified this one-year agreement which will regulate the broadcasting of gender-sensitive programmes produced by ICM and funded by CFI.

A weekly programme entitled Voix de femmes (Female voices) will cover various issues and concerns affecting women. Each month, three 30-minute French-language programmes will be produced along with four 45-minute programmes in the national languages of Hausa, Zarma, Fulfulde and Tamasheq. This means that a total of 40 French-language programmes and 48 programmes in national languages will be broadcast over the course of the agreement.

The participating radio stations will have to complement these programmes with a locally produced interactive programme, which should reflect the concerns of local people as accurately as possible. These programmes will enable the radio station managers to enhance their programme schedules. Questions linked to gender, which were previously given little thought, will now be covered more frequently and receive particular attention.

ICM hopes to put in place regular meetings with the radio stations in order to better evaluate the project's progress and contribute to its success.