Sharon Bhagwan Rolls
I have a broadcasting background (radio and TV) and in 2001 and 2002 after establishing femLINKPACIFIC, I developed a series of training programmes using TV and radio to assist the members of the National Council of Women understand the opportunities to use radio and television to tell their stories / as an advocacy and communication platform, rather then simply relying on press releases.
Since femLINKPACIFIC was established we have combined media technology training, especially using radio, as part of our community radio activities especially for our young women producers/broadcasters;
The development of our community media/advocacy process in rural communities is also a participatory training methodology I have developed to assist women develop their “radio content” and then to also be involved in the production of their community radio programmes
It is participatory and it is not a top down approach, in fact I believe that it is about facilitation rather than “training” as the process must empower women and young women, rather than disempower the women and young women who we work with because quite often it is the actual technology which can become a barrier;
When it comes to the politics of technology as women with our diversities it is also ensuring that we have a “level playing field” and overcome the patriarchy of decision making so we collectively must be able to understand and address the issues of accessibility (eg for women with disabilities) and appropriateness (in rural communities) and find ways to bridge that gap even when we develop common advocacy strategies; it is therefore ensuring that we holistically address the information-communication divide within women’s communities eg between urban and semi-urban women; urban and rural women; women of the global south and north; I also see the politics of technology therefore as an inter-generational issue within the movement and so, our training practices must empower older and young women – what I try to do is empower the older women with the knowledge about the technology and give them the chance to have “hands on experience” and then equipping young women with the tools and skills to use the technology so that together both groups can work together.
I see myself as a woman who has the opportunity to empower other women with the skills and knowledge I have had the privilege and opportunity to learn myself…so that we can all move forward together.
