Radio as a tool for change: Social and gender impact of the radio station ‘Rádio Mulher’ in Bafatá, Guinea-Bissau

Abstract

Rádio Mulher is a radio station that operates in Bafatá, the second largest city in Guinea Bissau, managed entirely by women. Its content aims to raise awareness among the population on issues such as health, education, gender equity or the political participation of women. The initiative, which was born in February 2018 under the impulse of the NGO Periodistas Solidarios that belongs to the Asociación de la Prensa de Sevilla, currently employs ten women journalists and has had the support of organizations such as the United Nations. In this article we seek to know the social and gender impact of this radio station in the community of Bafatá in a qualitative approach, in which we propose the analysis based on three data collection techniques: the in-depth interview and the focus group and observation. The results indicate that, after six years of implementation, the radio has become a platform for local female empowerment and a reference medium that has led to a paradigm shift for both men and women in Bafatá in areas such as gender equality and women's rights.