FIJI'S FIRST MOBILE COMMUNITY WOMEN'S RADIO PROJECT

August 30, 2004 - (femLINKpacific) Yesterday (29 August) femLINKpacific (Media Initiatives for Women) staged our second SUVA based monthly broadcast of fem’TALK 89.2FM – our “suitcase radio” from the ECREA office on Bau Street. And even though fem’TALK 89.2FM is a women’s community media initiative, founded by a women’s media NGO (femLINKpacific) yesterday’s show was probably the best way to portray that women’s media initiatives are not about excluding our male counterparts!

In fact, if you consider who went on air yesterday it may well be a positive gender mainstreaming exercise ….collectively addressing common issues of concern from the status of women and youth in faith based organisations, to adolescent reproductive health issues, to media education, as well as gender and peacebuilding.

Henry Rigamoto, Coordinator of Interfaith Search Fiji and the host of the Interfaith Hour at 10am was on air with Mr Dean from the Ahmaddiya Muslim organisation and Mrs Malani from LDS Church addressing gender equality and peace building from their theological perspectives.

During the YOUTH’ SpeakOut session the focus on adolescent reproductive health brought together a range of perspectives from women’s human rights based organisations Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, and the Young Women’s Christian Association and Marie Stopes International responding to the case study examples shared by ARH peer educator Leone Tupua who is based in Suva.

From 2 to 3pm – during the RRRT show, George Tavola and Apolosi Bose and Seema Naidu demystified the Family Law Act and during the ECREA hour it was Paula and Paulo sharing their work on the work that is being undertaken through ECREA’s Lobby for the Poor project which is being undertaken in semi urban and squatter settlements in the greater Suva area.

Then from 4pm, Fiji Media Watch Vice President and former mainstream radio broadcaster, James Bhagwan hosted the Fiji Media Watch hour providing information and updates based on the organization recent trainers workshop on media education and finally the broadcast ended with the return of documentary maker and former broadcaster Larry Thomas, hosting an hour with Koila Costello Olsson and Russ Daye on the Gender and Peace programme of the Ecumenical Centre (ECREA).

The broadcast also features a special show with our student broadcasters (5th formers from St Joseph's Secondary School) called “Start Up SUNDAY”. We were very pleased to host four representatives of the Fiji Disabled People’s Association’s women’s group including the interim President of FDPA – Angeline Chand and Naomi Underwood (Chairperson of the women’s group) and members Sushila Lal and Salote Vulavou…advocating their women’s human rights through the Biwako Millennium Framework. Urmilla Prasad, a member of the Fiji Association of Women’s Graduates and an active member of the Methodist
Women’s Fellowship, was a guest on the Women and Peace hour which also featured an interview with Nicci Simmonds on the 1000 Peacewomen for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.

fem’TALK 89.2fm broadcasts using a “suitcase radio kit” has been acquired to undertake broadcasts to women and their communities in the semi urban and rural communities of Fiji: “This is one way we can deliver, exchange and collect information of critical concern to women within their communities, on a range of issues. Fem’TALK 89.2FM has a special focus on supporting our NGO/CSO partners in their peace-building efforts, by creating a space for discussion and dialogue on the post conflict reconstruction needs for our country.”

Yesterday (30 August) our transmission would have enabled an inner city audience within the 60 watt transmitter radius to tune in to the 9am to 6pm broadcast.

“We are looking forward to implementing our women speaking to women project, which will be undertaken with assistance from UNESCO, as this will enable us to not only strengthen our current relationship with our stakeholders and volunteers, but also undertake two trial broadcasts in Vanua Levu and also in the western division of Viti Levu”

femLINKpacific is grateful to the support of ECREA (for housing the broadcast), CommTech for the technical support everytime we ‘rig’ the station, all the volunteers and contributors to the broadcast, especially our student broadcast team, as well as AUSAID, RRRT and UNESCO.

The next Suva-based broadcast will be on Sunday 26 September 2004

From: femlinkpac@connect.com.fj