GIVING WOMEN A VOICE THEY NEVER HAD: COMMUNITY RADIO

Having a finger on the pulse of one's region is not an easy job, especially if that one is a woman. Alike, it wasn't an easy ride for Shukla, Koshti, Gandhimathi and many others like them. But now, they rule the airwaves via Community Radios (CR), which broadcasts programs in regional languages to respective villages. Women have always made their mark in every sphere of life that even CR is not alien to this. There are over 400 CR stations presently in India, out of which many are run for/by women in rural areas. CR is a participatory tool for communication which provides a platform to create awareness, provide information and education, improve skills or empower. By examining the opportunities for and challenges faced by women who participate in CR, this study offers insights into how CR has the potential to reshape the lives of women. This research aims to do content analysis of five CR stations and will be analyzed on how they gain a voice that matters and also, how they enhance the inclusion of women in CR. Written as a crossover between gender and CR, the author looks at how the CR movement, policy and practice in India act as a tool for rural women development and proves to be an instrument in changing their lives.