Nelly Bassily | March 5, 2012
The first International Women’s Day was celebrated 37 years ago on March 8, 1975. The theme for International Women’s Day 2012 is particularly relevant to the work of African rural broadcasters and of Farm Radio International: Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty.
The Wikipedia entry on International Women’s Day gives a little history and context: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women’s_Day
The WomenWatch website, operated by the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, has lots of resources on a wide variety of issues of special relevance to women: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/
Here is a website described as “A global hub for sharing International Women’s Day news, events and resources”: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
You can search for International Women’s Day events in your country at: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/events.asp
The Commission on the Status of Women is a global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to the promotion of gender equality and the advancement of women. “The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges” is a priority theme of the commission this year. Click here to see videos of commission sessions currently underway at the United Nations in New York.
Farm Radio International has published many scripts on women’s rights, women’s roles in farming and the family, and other issues. You can search our archived scripts on gender and development at: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/gender.asp
Farm Radio Weekly has distributed a great number of stories which focus on women’s particular roles, issues, challenges, and experiences. A quick browse through the Farm Radio Weekly website will turn up many women’s stories. Here are two of our most recent stories that focus on women:
-Kenya: A farmer makes her fortune by turning weeds into juice (FRW#189, February 2012) http://weekly.farmradio.org/2012/02/20/kenya-a-farmer-makes-her-fortune-by-turning-weeds-into-juice-by-sawa-pius-for-farm-radio-weekly-in-kenya/
-Madagascar: Women break with tradition by embracing farming and improving lives (FRW #184, January 2012) http://weekly.farmradio.org/2012/01/09/madagascar-women-break-with-tradition-by-embracing-farming-and-improving-lives-by-patrick-andriamihaja-for-farm-radio-weekly-in-madagascar/
Are there women in your community who would make interesting subjects for a radio profile? Are there women’s groups who are working for women’s land rights, or for better recognition of women as innovative and progressive farmers? You might want to do a special program for International Women’s Day, or even an ongoing program on women’s issues.
Please let us know if you create any special programming for International Women’s Day. You could send us a description of your program, or, if possible, even send us an audio version of your program at farmradioweekly@farmradio.org.