In rural Mozambique, most radio sets are owned by men, which means that women often listen to the radio with the explicit or implicit permission of their husbands. “Often, programs about women have to be channeled through male listeners,” explains Joao Bosse, h2n national coordinator for radio. “So, even in programs that are about women’s health, for example, the reporter has to say something like ‘please make sure to tell your wife about this’, and this dynamic is something we are working to change,” says Bosse. “Our goal is to distribute several thousand low-cost solar-powered radio sets to rural women or groups of women, so that they have direct and unimpeded access to information.”
The dynamic of men controlling the information flow in rural areas, sometimes exacerbated by male pastors or administrators, is not a new phenomenon, but represents a barrier that can be overcome. At Radio Fot in Lichinga, this strategy is already being implemented, with the distribution of 2,000 radio sets in remote communities in Niassa province. The solar-powered radio set also works as a flashlight that can be used at night, thus meeting another important need. “One has to be pragmatic – even a husband that may not want his wife to have a radio set usually does not mind that she has a flashlight, which serves a very utilitarian purpose,” says Bosse, who would like to distribute 5,000 more radio sets to rural women.
h2n, which is primarily supported by Norway, works extensively with community radios, produces community videos, broadcasts the “Saude e Vida” television program on health and wellness, facilitates youth engagement hubs and pursues a rapidly expanding gender equality agenda.