Series of women-related radio programmes produced and broadcast in 2018-2020

Studio Tamani normalises debate on women’s issues through women-related programmes. In a country with discriminatory laws, extensive polygamy and gender-based violence, and where husbands are often the sole decision-makers, Malian women live in an oppressive culture amid widespread poverty. To ease financial burdens, many Malian girls are forced to marry as children so their families can benefit from their bride price. Empowerment can mean different things for different women. It can mean staying in school, negotiating more equitable relationships, or learning how to start a small business, in order to become financially independent and provide for one’s family. Finding out how to do this is key. Access to information is the route to empowerment and, in Mali, radio remains the main source of information. Radio in Mali can empower women by remembering they are part of a social web. Local understanding is crucial to this campaign as it is clear that women’s empowerment in Mali cannot be reduced to a matter of individual choice or agency. It refers to collective agency and decision making. This is in stark contrast with the emphasis often found in development campaigns.