Basseterre, St.Kitts, February 10, 2014 -- At its 36th General Assembly in 2011, UNESCO proclaimed the 13th of February as World Radio Day. The 13th of February is significant to UNESCO as it is the anniversary of the day the United Nations established their first Radio Station in 1946. The United Nations Radio station’s main purpose is to promote the universal ideals of the United Nations which include gender equality, peace, tolerance, respect for human rights, economic and social development and the upholding of international law
Now in its third year of being commemorated by UNESCO, World Radio Day 2014 falls under the sub-theme: “Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women through Radio”.
Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO stated in her World Radio Day message that, “less than one quarter of radio stories are about women, and women represent less than one third of all top level management and governance positions in media.” The Director General further expressed that, “without the voices of more than half the world’s population, how can we understand the whole story?”
Therefore UNESCO is committed to getting the balance right, that is; to strengthen pluralism and freedom of expression in radio. In so doing, women must have an equal part in news-making, decision-making and media ownership structures.
In celebrations across the globe, UNESCO is seeking to promote gender equality by:
- Sensitising radio station owners, executives and governments to develop gender-related policies and strategies for radio.
- Building radio skills for youth radio production, with focus on girls as producers, hosts and or reporters.
- Promoting the safety of women radio journalists.
“Radio can carry any message to any place at any time, therefore we need to fully harness this power for the benefit of all” , stated Irina Bokova as she continued her message. She concluded by echoing the call for all broadcasters to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in and through radio.
The St.Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO is also proud to be using this opportunity to raise the issue of gender equality in radio. We are encouraged by the proliferation of radio stations within the Federation as they have become the most popular communication tool used daily. This is evident by the various talk shows and call in programmes that are aired on all of our radio stations on a daily basis. However, it can be noted that many of our women who work in radio serve solely as disc jockeys (DJs) and news readers. We therefore urge all station owners and policy makers working in radio to empower more women to aspire to higher positions such as managers, producers and directors.
On 13 February, let’s celebrate women in radio and those who support them!
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