The Women’s Crossroads radio programme is designed to communicate information to women, as well as provide an opportunity for women to speak out on issues. The programmes not only cover issues of mistreatment and gender violence, but also share insights around women’s initiatives and interests like income-generating activities or cooking tips.

Coinciding with the launch of the radio programme, fifteen wind-up radios with mini solar panels were distributed to women’s groups in Djabal camp, with the help of MINURCAT, the United Nations mission deployed in Chad. Listeners need to wind the radio to recharge it and the radios are powered by the sun, so there is no need to buy batteries.

This project is designed to facilitate women’s access to radio programmes, as well as benefit the whole community. Wind-up radios are therefore installed in public places for anyone to have access. Women can sit and listen in the camps or in surrounding villages, and wherever they collect food and water, or get health care for their children. According to the organisers, neither the women’s programmes nor the radios were intended for individual use, but for group listening so as to encourage women – and men – to talk freely about gender issues.

Gender, Health

According to the Internews, women say that they seldom have the opportunity to listen to the radio because their husbands control what is listened to and will take the radio with them when they leave the house. Sylvie Bowen, Internews reporter for gender issues in Eastern Chad says, "Women are now telling me, 'I have listened to other women speaking on the programme. Now I want to speak too!' Before, it was difficult to get them to talk. Since we started airing Women’s Crossroads, they are the ones who call us."