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Ikike Umunwanyi Na Omumu (The Reproductive Rights of Women)

Country

Nigeria

Region

Africa

Programme Summary

Ikike Umunwanyi Na Omumu, which means "The Reproductive Rights of Women” in Igbo, is a weekly radio programme initiated by the Women Information Network (WINET), a media-focused non-governmental organisation that operates in Enugu State, Nigeria. The programme broadcast information on women's reproductive rights in the local language, Igbo, from March to December 2007.

Communication Strategies

During each show, resource people from the health sector gave information on various topics including: the meaning of reproductive rights, cultural practices that adversely affect those rights, rape and female genital cutting as infringements of those rights, safe motherhood and maternal mortality, family planning, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive tract infections, and menopause. At the end of the each programme, the presenter provided a phone number and a postal address to obtain feedback from listeners.

The programme also made use of listening clubs for discussion and feedback. Listening clubs were set up in 6 communities via the formation of Women's Reproductive Rights forums, where participants would discuss reproductive rights concerns and set various topics for each discussion. From these forums, smaller listening clubs were formed with women who were able to commit to listening to the programme. Each club received a radio and batteries, as well as writing materials and cassette tapes to record the programme for playback later. Clubs met for each broadcast, discussed the content, and wrote a joint report. Each month the reports were collected by WINET.

According to the organisers, feedback from the listening groups, as well as phone calls or letters from listeners, showed that the programme enjoyed a high listenership. Comments came in from men, women, and young people in particular. By the end of the programme, the organisers believe that approximately one million women and other radio listeners acquired increased knowledge of women's reproductive health rights.

Development Issues

Reproductive Health, Women, Rights

Key Points

Ikike Umunwanyi Na Omumu was part of a 3-year project entitled "Media Advocacy on Women's Reproductive Rights in Enugu State, Nigeria" and is funded by the European Union.

Partners

European Union

Contact

Miriam Menkiti
Executive Director
Women Information Network (WINET)

P.O.Box 763

Enugu Enugu State
400001
Nigeria
Tel: +234 42 254078
Fax: +234 42 254078

Source

Dimitra Newsletter [PDF], No. 14, March 2008.


Placed on the Soul Beat Africa site September 08 2008
Last Updated September 10 2008

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