Yesterday morning, Canadian High Commissioner Caroline Delany officially launched Project Asas, a multi-year communication project funded by Canada and implemented by h2n that aims to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in Mozambique. Pursuing a multi-channel, multi-layered communication strategy, h2n will advance social and behavior change for gender equality through mass media, television, community radio and community engagement.
“The project will be implemented at different levels,” explains Farida Ustá, the project director. “At the national level, we will work with media and civil society to change social norms, and on the community level, with community radios and video groups to enable women, men, girls and boys to change attitudes, norms and behaviors.” With activities in five provinces, the project will produce a range of content in local languages. “h2n pursues an integrated communication strategy and uses a variety of channels,” explains Ustá, adding that a television program, for example, can be aired as a radio program or shared via social media with relatively little extra effort, thus amplifying the reach of each message.
According to Ustá, all project content will be disseminated through at least five channels. “When women succeed, everyone succeeds,” said Ms. Delany at the launch, emphasizing the need to overcome the discrimination against women and girls that holds back development.
Project Asas will work to strengthen gender equality in the media, address harmful gender stereotypes and misconceptions and strengthen the voices of women and girls. The project will seek the active involvement of men and boys in overcoming barriers that prevent the full participation of women in society.