The series aims to address the root causes of gender-based violence by encouraging people to break the silence and to enhance open communication on all levels of gender relations in the public arena as well as in the family and among couples and friends.

The series of radio dramas and panel discussions, which run for 18 months, are based on Story Workshop’s edutainment approach. The drama is based on real-life stories of Malawians which are followed by discussions with panellists which include policymakers, community leaders, law enforcement officers, women and men.

The project hopes to increase understanding of the causes and issues surrounding gender-based violence, and to promote a more favourable public climate towards the empowerment of women.

Some of the strategies in developing the drama and discussions include:

• presenting a focused picture of physical violence against women in their own homes;
• using a man-to-man approach to de-popularise the myth that a “real man” beats his wife;
• educating family marriage counsellors that sending women back to partners who abuse them is a misuse of their influence;
• influencing police, paralegals and courts to be more aggressive in prosecuting perpetrators even when they are powerful men;
• using culture to combat the excuse of “culture” and
• breaking the silence that is sustained by pressuring women to accept this as a “bedroom issue” and not a public or legal issue.

Women, Rights, Gender.

Founded in 1996 by American artist and educator Pamela Brooke, Story Workshop Educational Trust is a media organisation bringing social change communication together with creative entertainment in an effort to improve the everyday lives of people in Malawi.

Story Workshop uses media and personal contact to reach Malawians on issues that include food security, health and HIV/AIDS, environmental protection, human rights and democracy, and gender.

Through all of its work, Story Workshop aims to bridge the gap between what people know and what people do through behaviour change communication (BCC) that relates to their everyday lives.