In August 2010 the president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited jhr’s partner radio station LWDR (Liberia Women Democracy Radio), Liberia’s first radio station for women. jhr trainer Tamasin Ford has been working with local journalists for several months to create a radio station that empowers women and tackles gender issues. “You don’t hear much about women’s issues from other radio stations and newspapers so there’s a need for an institution to focus primarily on women”, says LWDR’s News Director Winston Daryoue. Read Tamison Ford’s article about the visit below

President launches Liberia’s first radio station for women

 

By Tamasin Ford, Liberian Women’s Democracy Radio, Monrovia, Liberia

 

We want you to bring a strong voice to the women”, says President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as she launches Liberia’s first and only radio station for women. Standing in a room full of ministers, officials, journalists and community women, Africa’s first democratically elected female President knows only too well what it’s like being a lone female voice in a male dominated world. “I hope you will have great influence in trying to promote the enhancement of women’s role in this society,” she says.

 

Set in the heart of Congo Town on the edge of the capital, Monrovia, the Liberia Women Democracy Radio, LWDR, has struggled to reach where it has got now. Staff laboured for ten months without pay, sharing just one computer. A brand new production studio lay dormant and unfinished after the initial UNIFEM funding ran out. Debts rose as they borrowed money to buy fuel to run the generator to keep the station on air. Purchasing water to flush the toilet was the least of their priorities. But they didn’t give up and if they did, it never showed. Reporters continued to come into work, spending their own money to transport themselves and somehow still managed to feed their families. Their dedication paid off. The delayed UNIFEM funding, which will keep the station on air until March 2011, finally came through in July. The end result: a functioning station with equipment, internet access and salaries for every member of staff.

 

“Sometimes we don’t have people to speak for us. We listen to the radio station and they speak for us; we, the young girls,” says 26 year old Kimberline Kpelle as she waves her welcome banner in the radio station courtyard for the President. Kimberline is usually dressed in a faded t-shirt with a brightly coloured lappa wrapped around her waist as she sells dried goods on the side of the road. Today she is wearing her best, a beautifully tailored Liberian suit. “The station is important for me, because I can get information where I can’t find anywhere else,” she adds. LWDR claims it wants to provide a platform for women to talk about issues rarely heard on other stations across the country.

 

After 14 years of civil war, women bore the brunt of the violence, characterised by the use of child soldiers, rape and extreme poverty. Seven years on, women are still the most vulnerable group in society. Their voices are rare in high level discussions on peace and security. Only 15% form part of the teaching profession. The new rape law was passed in 2006, but convictions are still low – less than five in the last year. Access to health is still a huge task, with the World Health Organisation estimating three quarters of those infected with HIV are women.

 

For Liberia to put itself back on the map, LWDR is calling for women to start playing their role in shaping their country’s future. “You know, over the years men have always been heard, they have always been heard,” says mum of two, Varnetta Johnson, who presents the ‘Traditional Women’ programme on the station. “When you look at gender equity, you look at the gender that has always been down in the past and in Liberia it has been the woman and that’s who we want to empower,” she says.

 

One thing the station is acutely aware of if they’re to change the perception of women in Liberia, is the idea that their programming must also be attractive to men. A little under half of the reporting staff is male. 22 year old Winston Daryoue is the News Director. “It’s really amazing sometimes but it’s also very difficult,” Winston says in answer to the question; ‘what is it like being a male reporter at a women’s station?’ “Sometimes when you cover a story, you want to take it from the conventional style but you have to look at the gender side of it. You have to adapt to the new way of reporting it.” Winston goes on to explain why a radio station focusing on women is crucial for Liberia. “You don’t hear much about women’s issues from other radio stations and newspapers so there’s a need for an institution to focus primarily on women. You know, the election of Madam Sirleaf was another boost for women in Liberia but how do we boost the trend? How can we have more young women becoming confident and becoming leaders in their communities?” And this is something President Sirleaf is aware of herself. The 72 year old, a role model for women all over Liberia, has proved that women can get to the top. But she cites illiteracy, rape, prostitution and girls’ education as the biggest hurdles facing Liberia’s women today.

 

As the President leaves the station, flanked by six large Special Security Service personnel, I manage to throw one question to her. Why does she think this radio station is so important for the women of Liberia? She says “We still have some serious problems in Liberia; serious problems regarding rape, regarding the retention of girls in school. I hope through this station they will be able to focus on that problem where the other stations won’t be able to focus exclusively. That will help us a lot.” And her parting words; “Thank you all and now let me say, the Liberia Women Democracy Radio station is officially launched.”