Ethiopia faces hurdles in accessing inclusive mainstream media due to diverse communities, language barriers, and low literacy rates, especially in rural areas. Community radio serves as a vital solution, amplifying local voices, languages, and cultural expressions. Fojo’s support for community radio not only bridges these gaps but also ensures equal access to information across Ethiopia.
High financial demands from parents have prevented young individuals in Ethiopia’s Kore community from marrying freely, often leaving them indebted and without homes. With support from Fojo, Kore Community Radio FM 92.3 initiated a mentorship program. This platform enabled community members to voice their experiences, raising awareness about detrimental traditional practices affecting the lives of young men and women. Increased dialogue has gradually granted Kore’s youth the autonomy to select their own partners.
The AWiM23-Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, on 30 Nov – 1 December, will present a declaration that addresses the critical issue of gender-based violence (GBV), both regarding the kinds of violence women in media experience and how media represents gender-based violence in its content.
In mid-November 2023, 33 media houses in Rwanda endorsed the ”Rwanda Media Anti Sexual Harassment Policy,” vowing to address workplace sexual harassment. Developed by the media sector with support from Fojo’s Rwanda Media Programme, Annelie Frank, Programme Manager for the Rwanda Media Programme, highlights that experiencing sexual harassment affects female journalists personally and impacts their representation in Rwanda’s already low female journalist count.
Gender representation and gender-based violence in journalism are globally discussed issues, including in Somalia’s predominantly male-dominated industry. Despite unique challenges like limited resources, censorship, and ongoing conflict in the media landscape, strides are being made towards change.
Journalism educators in Ethiopia are establishing the Ethiopian Journalism Educators’ Network (EJEN) to bring together media academics from the country’s 24 institutions that offer journalism education. This article was published by our partner Wits University in South Africa on their website. Fojo supports the establishment of EJEN as part of our programme in Ethiopia. Written by Enoch Sithole.
Community radio remains Ethiopia’s primary information source, especially crucial in rural regions where it’s the sole means of access. As 35 community radio stations unite for the first time in a conference, discussing and learning in local languages, the potential impact spans millions of people nationwide.
Kidist Dejene was a student at Haramaya University when she was enrolled in a media literacy training provided by neighbouring Bahir Dar University. The training changed her views and gave her another perspective, teaching her to be skeptical, checking content before sharing it or taking it in. She found it so inspiring that she wanted to share the knowledge with her community.
Fojo’s Rwanda Media Programme is gearing up for its second media consumption survey in early 2024. This follows the successful completion of the initial survey in 2021, focused on evaluating the Rwandan media sector nationwide, including previously uncovered rural areas.
Media representatives nationwide convened in Dhaka at the start of October to tackle shared challenges. The conference offered a distinctive forum, bringing together journalism professionals, academics, and students to foster vibrant discussions and idea exchange on journalism, communication, and media.
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