Women only radio training - Women counter-storying their lives

In European union gender equality is not yet realized in the media, neither in terms of media producers nor media content. Also, in diverse and pluralistic community radio, women are in the minority, womanhood understood in its widest sense, with all its intersectionality. Radio training offered to all, is the heart of community radio making it versatile and plural. Nevertheless, current underrepresentation of women in community radio, shows that our training practices have not been sufficient to promote equal participation of women in community radio activities. It is difficult for community radio to reach women and often the skills of female producers already participating in broadcasts have weakened because of lack of guidance and peer support. In small, voluntary based community radios like in Finland and Sweden there is a lack of trainers coming from different social and cultural target groups, e.g. seniors, disabled persons and people recovering mental illness, and migrants. Also, It is not easy for a single radio station to find alone adequate training for its trainers who are required to have a wide range of professional but also psychological and social competencies and skills learned over many years of work.

The goal of the project “Women only radio training – Women counter-telling their stories” was to meet current needs for breaking women’s radio silence by developing women sensitive community radio training that combines traditional community radio practices and for its needs adapted feminist pedagogy. The project aimed at creating transnational co-operation of female trainers and researchers to identify the possible barriers for women’s participation, and the antidotes for their marginalization. The project objectives for trainer’s and trainee’s levels: Trainers have new methods and material in use, and they train women better. Trainers are more aware of different kinds of women’s learning needs, and the barriers for their participation. Trainees get versatile radio making experiences and their self-confidence and self-esteem increase. Trainees are motivated to continue training. The Project objectives for organization’ level: Gaining awareness of media equality issues in community radio. Increase of educational co-operation with grass root organisations to reach women. Increase of transnational activities to break women’s radio silence in community radio sector. Increase of consulting on media equality issues for members.

The project's contained activities in developing new gender-sensitive training practices, and training and learning materials about how to build a dramatic story, that were tested in ten workshops. The development included familiarization with the pedagogical thinking of Paulo Freire and bell hooks. The preparation for the teaching of storytelling included familiarization with source literature for creative writing, film and theatre, and literary studies. The project included two on-line events for female community radio trainers, activists, researchers and academics. The projects webpage was created. The project had seven on-line partner meetings and two transnational meetings in Helsingborg and Helsinki.

The project results are web site, guidelines for trainers on women’s storytelling, training and learning materials, women’s radio stories, video documentation from webinars.