Media Matters for Women - Sierra Leone (MMW-SL)

In Sierra Leone, radio programming plays a crucial role in delivering information to the population, but producing and distributing programming is expensive and often difficult, especially when there is no electricity or adequate road systems. MMW was initiated in order to bring radio-style programming in local languages closer to remote communities, especially women and girls in these communities, many of whom are illiterate. The concept was developed and refined over five years of pilot testing in Sierra Leone and the DRC, and over the years has incorporated other communication channels to expand the reach and impact of the podcasts.

Content production
The project involves a group of female broadcast journalists who are trained to produce several types of audio podcasts: short information announcements, in-focus interviews, and "Mamie and Omo", a weekly drama series that is meant to be humorous and informative. Journalists are equipped with a Mobile Production Unit (MPU) to create regular audio podcasts that cover a wide range of topics, including but not limited to taboo subjects such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practices. The podcasts are produced on a bi-weekly basis, and the journalists research the topics they cover before making their recordings, which include experts, people on the street, and catchy jingles at the beginning and end. The journalists choose the topics for their podcasts based on their observations of what issues are most relevant in the communities they cover, as well as requests from their listeners who want to know more on specific topics.

To look at one type of audio podcast in more detail, "Mamie and Omo" portrays two fictional female friends as they debate issues of the day. Launched in 2010, when it was shortlisted for the BBC One World Media Award, it went off air in 2011; in 2018, MMW revived the series with the original actresses and production team. Episodes are short - about five minutes each. Mamie is a market woman, while her friend and neighbour, Omo, has a teaching job in Freetown. Their conversation is informative and often humorous, and each character represents a different point of view on a topic. The first MMW-revived episodes covered the reunion of Mamie and Omo and have gone on to deal with human trafficking, COVID-19, domestic violence, rape, child marriage, education, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), child labour, FGM, and maternal mortality. Episodes are available for free here, on SoundCloud .

Dissemination The podcasts are disseminated through several channels that allow them to maximise their broadcast reach:

• Through a network of listening centres - Partnering with local organisations that provide them with meeting spaces free of charge, MMW-SL has set-up 15 listening centres in three of the five regions in Sierra Leone, with more being planned. These listening centres provide a place for women to listen, discuss, and ask questions about the podcasts in a friendly and welcoming environment. Each listening centre is run by a focal point, a woman who facilitates discussions and answers questions, and two youth advocates (young women and men between the ages of 18 to 24), who are trained and paid a small stipend to assist in this process.
• Virally, through peer-to-peer Bluetooth podcast sharing - Even though many MMW-SL listeners live in impoverished communities, mobile phones are available among people in most villages. Working through focal points and youth advocates in each province, MMW shows listeners how they can freely share podcasts with family and friends via Bluetooth. This allows MMW-SL to create a broad network of listeners that extends beyond the reach of their regular network and WiFi coverage.
• Via traditional radio broadcasts - The project has established relationships with radio stations in each of its target districts. They are given the podcasts to broadcast to their audiences.
• Through outreach initiatives - The youth advocates working at the listening centres travel door-to-door to play the podcasts for women and girls who are too busy working at home to go to the listening centres. Travelling by foot or by motorbike, they are able to reach hundreds of women and girls that do not have access to other media. The youth advocates as well as designated "town criers" also deliver messages via megaphone, enabling women without access to the internet, radio, or telephones to receive life-saving information. This method proved to be particularly useful in the context of COVID-19, when meetings at listening centres were no longer possible. During the epidemic, MMW-SL has been active in disseminating information around domestic violence, the "epidemic within the epidemic".
• Using social media platforms - Podcasts are also being made available on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and SoundCloud, which as of this writing holds more than 650 free podcasts.

Overall, the dissemination approach is designed to ensure that information is heard by both women and men and supported by local leadership, as this can lead to the information being trusted more by the community and supported by men - and therefore more likely to be acted upon and to bring about lasting change.

Women, Youth, Gender, Human Rights, Sexual and Reproductive Health, COVID-19

In 2015, MMW received international recognition from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN Women. In 2016, they received funding to create a pilot podcast in the DRC that tells the stories of ordinary Congolese women who do extraordinary things. In 2017, MMW transferred their distribution model to the DRC by sending a Congolese journalist to work alongside their Sierra Leonean team.

In terms of impact, the project has reached over 300,000 direct listeners since 2018, averaging 50,000 listens per month, 40% of whom are men. Evaluations indicate that the impact is strongest on GBV, health, and women's rights. Evaluations have also shown that women and girls are eager to use the information services. Most listeners are able to recount information they learned from the programmes and can offer examples of how this knowledge has positively affected their behaviour.