Advancing Gender Equality through Community Radio

The project involves 12 community radio stations around South Africa, and works to use broadcasting as a means to increase the involvement of men and boys in preventing HIV transmission and gender-based violence, and in promoting gender equality. The project also aims to enable Sonke to help develop synergies between local radio stations and local organisations who service the same communities.

Sonke provides stations with locally relevant radio materials. For example, the organisation has recently redone for radio ten of its video Digital Stories, which are first-person accounts of loss, pain, and triumph related to HIV/AIDS. The stories, created together with the California-based Centre for Digital Storytelling, have been translated into English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, and seSotho. According to Sonke, organisers say initial pilot testing with radio stations in August sparked lively ‘on air’ discussions about sensitive topics, like disclosing HIV status.

As of December 2010, Sonke had conducted combined trainings for municipal officials and staff from both community organisations and nine of the radio stations. The trainings were intended to equip participants with the know-how to address gender, gender-based violence, and HIV/AIDS issues. During the 2010 international 16 days of Activism against Violence against Women and Children (starting November 25), partner radio stations broadcast a series of shows discussing the work Sonke does, including its One Man Can and Red Card against Child Sexual Exploitation campaigns. Sonke also helped the stations work with the 16 Days activities of community organisations.

Starting in January 2011, Sonke will assist the radio stations and community organisations to do live talk radio shows. Quarterly stakeholder meetings are scheduled during 2011 to ensure regular discussion of new OMC elements.

HIV/AIDS, Gender-based Violence, Rights

The Sonke Gender Justice project, which started in February 2006, seeks to address the social aspects of the HIV epidemic, with a particular focus on gender issues. Sonke Gender Justice's vision is a SADC region in which men, women, youth and children can enjoy equitable, healthy, and happy relationships that contribute to the development of a just and democratic society. To achieve this, Sonke works to build government, civil society and citizen capacity to achieve gender equality, prevent gender-based violence and reduce the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS.

Sonke's One Man Can programme promotes the idea that every person has a role to play, that each person can create a better, more equitable and more just world. At the same time, the campaign encourages men to work together with other men and with women to take action - to build a movement, to demand justice, to claim human rights and to change the world. The programme provides a toolkit - a set of resources that support men and boys to take action to end domestic and sexual violence and to promote healthy, equitable relationships that men and women can enjoy - passionately, respectfully and fully.