1. INCREASING WOMEN VOICE AND PARTICIPATION Victor Kaonga
National Director, TWR Malawi
MALAWI SADC GENDER PROTOCOL SUMMIT
10th April 2013
Protea Ryalls Hotel, Blantyre
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

2. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TWR MALAWI
Trans World Radio (TWR) broadcasts on FM from Lilongwe to the rest of Malawi (except for Karonga and Chitipa)
This is a non-denominational Christian radio network, with holistic programming in English, Chichewa, Chitumbuka and Chiyao
Broadcasts to a population whose last national census showed 52 per cent being women.
Ten female employees and Eleven males
TWR Malawi has been part of the COE process since 2011
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

3. KEY GENDER CHALLENGES IN THE MEDIA HOUSE
The Church/faith community subscribes to low view of women and girls
Few women leaders and models available to be featured
Few capable women available to fill the senior positions
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

4. GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!
GENDER CHAMPIONS
The Board itself has been promoting gender balance since 2009.
Other than that, Management Team Leader (National Director) has been championing for gender issues.
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

5. GENDER CHAMPIONS’ PRODUCTS
By running radio programmes on gender equality
Enlists women as content contributors, e.g. Nkhomaliro Ya Mau, Friday Night Live, Celebrating God, and Moment of Power have female pastors.
Calling for prayers for women and girls-Hannah’s Prayer at 06:15 Mon-Fri
Intentionally creating leadership spaces
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

6. HOW HAS THE COE PROCESS CONTRIBUTED TO ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES?
TWR developed the Gender Policy
Innovation: Bawoli Bane Programme since 2011
Has inspired more news coverage on gender issues
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

7. HOW HAS THE COE PROCESS CONTRIBUTED TO ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES?
During and after the Women of Distinction Awards Initiative (March 2012), TWR featured in a series several women of distinction on special arrangement to highlight their journey to recognition with hope to inspire others and especially girls.
In 2011, a full week in September was dedicated to women being in charge of the airwaves. We got volunteers who underwent orientation on presentation. This was to especially recognize the women around Mother’s Day.
TWR introduced paternity leave in 2010.
The news and current affairs team has attempted to get the gender-balance stories
Women who are positively living with the virus have been sensitively featured on air through Titani programme.
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

8. HOW HAS THE COE PROCESS CONTRIBUTED TO ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES?
Gender specific programmes, e.g.. Uthunthu, have been sustained seeing the value they add to safe motherhood.
The Self monitoring of TWR revealed that TWR still have few women sources. Most news sources still male-dominated.
There are still tendencies of some listeners picking on female presenters and content contributors .
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

9. GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!
HOW IS THE MEDIA HOUSE CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE 28 TARGETS OF THE SADC PROTOCOL?
PROTOCOL TARGET
COUNCIL/ACTIONS
Widow and widower’s rights (article 10)
Featuring Will Writing in Bawoli Bane
Participation and Equal Opportunity Employer (article 13)/19
Having 2 women in senior management positions – Head of Programming. The other heads Administration and Human Resource
Health, HIV and AIDS (Article 26)
Has the Uthunthu/Uchembere Wabwino programme addressing maternal and neonatal deaths
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

10. GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!
HOW IS THE MEDIA HOUSE CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE 28 TARGETS OF THE SADC PROTOCOL?
PROTOCOL TARGET
COUNCIL/ACTIONS
Gender in media content
TWR aims at portraying women as valuable and that they have potential to exploits their God-given talent.
Provides equal voice to women and men
Increases programming for, by and through women and challenge stereotypes
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

11. GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!
IMPACT
Feed back from audiences
A ND, kodi programme ija ya Wauli wane sikungatheke kumaipangaso mchichewa? Timayisilira koma zina zimatidutsa. Chilongo, Ndaula, Lilongwe,
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

12. GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!
CHANGING LIVES
During the Friday Night Live, we initially had male pastors until January 2013 when we brought female pastors on board. The female listeners thanked TWR for the women saying they feel more free and helped if a fellow women is also praying with them on air and just only men. Generally most requests in the programme come from women
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

13. CHALLENGES TO GENDER MAINSTREAMING
Inadequate resources for the organisation.
Rigid structures and systems, e.g. TWR has some partners which demand ONLY male producers and presenters should handle their programmes.
Some women need a lot more encouragement to do things much as they have potential.
Need to demystify the gender equality and gender justice concepts.
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!

14. GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!
WAY FORWARD
To address masculinity of man from a Biblical perspective
Introduce woman-to-woman talk-shows
Promote (through Mphamvu Kwa Achinyamata) election of girls and women as ward councillors for the 2014 tripartite elections
GENDER EQUALITY BY 2015, YES WE MUST!