Development Issues: Women, Conflict, Peace Building
Women
Talk Peace, produced by The International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC), is a
series of radio productions that aim to raise awareness about the varied
aspects of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, which
specifically addresses the impact of war on women and women's contributions to
conflict resolution and sustainable peace. The Resolution mandates that all UN
member states ensure that women are active participants at all levels of
decision making on peace and security issues. The Women Talk Peace radio
productions use varied formats including features, dramas and short radio spots
to communicate information about UNSCR 1325, as well as other international
conventions and legal mechanisms relevant to women in conflict situations.
The Women
Talk Peace series is part of the IWTC’s efforts to develop a core group of
broadcasters, print journalists and other media practitioners who are informed
about SCR 1325, in order to ensure a sustained flow of information about the
resolution, other legal mechanisms and how they can be used to protect and
promote women’s rights.
Women
Talk Peace is part of the IWTC's strategy that sees access to information and
the ability to communicate as a basic part of women's empowerment, women's
ability to redefine development paradigms, women's participation in the public
policy arena and the building of democratic societies.
The
first radio productions focus on women, peace and security issues in Africa and Asia and the Pacific region and specific issues in
certain countries in those regions.
Africa:
The productions in Africa address issues of reconstruction in Liberia as well as the complexities of the armed
conflict in Northern
Uganda.
The Ugandaproductions are available in English, Swahili, and Luganda.
The Liberia productions are available in English, Kpelle, and Bassa.
Asia and the Pacific:
The productions in Asia and the Pacific speak to the armed conflict in Southern Philippines but also reflect the nature and extent of
conflict in Aceh, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Papua New Guinea.
The Philippines productions are available in Filipino and English.
The radio
productions are being aired by a number of community and public radio stations
in Africa and Asia and the Pacific.
IWTC has also produced two sets of radio spots on Resolution 1325 created by the participants of Media Advocacy Workshops that IWTC organized in Nairobi, Kenya in September 2006 and in Johannesburg, South Africa in June 2007.
Kenya:
The radio spots produced in Nairobi, Kenya include general information on the Resolution
and how it promotes women’s rights and participation in decision-making.
The Kenyaproductions are available in English, Swahili, and French.
South Africa:
The ones produced in Johannesburg focuses on men’s involvement in the advocacy
for the full implementation of Resolution 1325.
The South Africa productions are available in English, Portuguese, and Oromo.
All radio productions are
broadcast in different community and public radio stations in
Africa and Asia and the Pacific.
Uganda:
IWTC, in
partnership with the Uganda Media Women’s Association, Radio Apac and a number
of local women’s groups and community radio in Uganda are now producing a new radio
soap opera focusing on the issue of sexual and gender-based violence. Part of
the production process is the conduct of a ‘writeshop’ and focus group
discussion where local women’s groups and people from Atana Village in Apac district in Northern Uganda participated in the development
of the script and field testing of messages. The radio soap which will be produced
in Luo, Luganda and English will
be launched during the International Women’s Day on March 8,
2008.
Sierra Leone:
New programmes
under the Women Talk Peace series are also currently being produced in Sierra Leone in partnership with a number of
local women’s organizations and NGOs. The programmes in Sierra Leone will address issues confronted by
women and men in rebuilding the country, such as post-conflict violence. The productions aim to facilitate more
dialogue on and women’s participation in the work of the Peace Building
Commission in Sierra Leone. They will be produced in Krio, Mende and Temne and will
likewise be launched during the International Women’s Day on March
8, 2008.
Department of
Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Human Security Program of Canada;
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway;
the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Flomo Theater, Talking Drum
Studio, Liberia Women Media Action Committee; the Samuel Rubin Foundation;
Uganda Media Women's Association; Radio Apac the United Nations Development Fund for
Women; and World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters.
Mavic Cabrera Balleza
Senior Programme Associate
International Women's Tribune Centre
777 United Nations Plaza, Flr 3
New York, NY 10017
United States
Tel: 212 687 8633
Fax: 212 661 2704 mavic@iwtc.org www.iwtc.org
The South Africa productions are available in English, Portuguese, and Oromo.
