Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Advancement through interactive radio

  • Published:
Information Systems Frontiers Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper describes the rationale, design and implementation of a system for increasing the status women in developing communities. AIR (Advancement through Interactive Radio) gives female community radio listeners a voice with which to respond to programming and to create programming content. We first describe the cost of excluding women from Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development, and explore how community radio represents an opportunity for inclusion. We draw upon feasibility studies and site visits in Southeast Kenya to support the introduction of a mechanism that enables women to “talk back” to the community radio station. Using the principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR), we argue that women will be more likely to benefit from technology-mediated opportunities for development if they themselves produce information that contributes to their advancement, rather than simply consuming information provided by others. Finally, we describe the design and implementation of simple communications device that supports this model for use in communities that are, and will remain for some time, off the electrical and cellular grid. This hand-held device enables women to record voice feedback and news for community radio. This feedback is then routed asynchronously back to the radio station through a probabilistic, delay-tolerant network, where the feedback can inform subsequent broadcasts and facilitate additional discussion. We conclude with a technical summary of the AIR prototype.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The decision to incorporate off-the-shelf USB “fobs” proved to be a mixed blessing, since we found very few commercial USB wireless devices that were fully compliant with the USB 2.0 specification at http://www.usb.org/developers/docs, particularly as it pertains to entering the suspended state.

References

  • Accram, A. (2004). Community radio: Bridging the information divide. Business in Africa, from http://www.businessinafrica.net/news_features/media/332617.htm.

  • Adam, L. (2005). Financing ICTs for development with focus on poverty. from http://www.choike.org/documentos/financing_icts_poverty.pdf.

  • Adjibade, A. (1996). Communication and nonformal education: Role and needs of the African woman and young girl: Personal views. Ottawa: IDRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Annan, K. (2002). In Africa, AIDS has a woman’s face. International Herald Tribune.

  • Avgerou, C., & Walsham, G. (2000). Information technology in context: Studies from the perspective of developing countries. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balnaves, M., Donald, J., & Donald, S. (2001). Global media atlas. London: BFI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bilodeau, D. (2005). Women’s access to radio in Mali. from http://www.usaidmali.org/documents/WomenAndAccessToRadioInMali.pdf.

  • Bisnath, S. (2005). ICTs & Women’s Employability/Employment: ITUo. Document Number.

  • Blackden, M., & Bhanu, B. (1999). Gender, growth, and poverty reduction: Special programme of assistance to Africa. Washington, D.C.: World Banko. Document Number.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Buckley, S. (2000). Community radio—the new tree of speech. from http://www.imfundo.org/papers/imfundo.doc.

  • Buckley, S. (2005). Voices for change. from http://www.id21.org/communityradio.

  • Cerf, V., Burleigh, S., Hooke, A., Torgerson, L., Durst, R., Scott, K., et al. (2003). Delay-Tolerant Network Architecture o. Document Number.

  • Chambers, R. (2005). Ideas for development. London: Earthscan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornwall, A. (2003). Whose voices? Whose choices? Reflections on gender and participatory development. World Development, 31(8), 1325–1342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emery, M. (1999). Searching: The theory and practice of making cultural change. Amsterdam: Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fall, K. (2003). Delay-tolerant network architecture for challenged internets. from http://www.intel-research.net/Publications/Berkeley/030320031146_120.pdf.

  • FAO. (2001). Rural radio: Africa’s internet. from http://www.fao.org/News/2001/011205-e.htm.

  • Fardon, R., & Furniss, G. (2000). African broadcast cultures: Radio in transition. Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1973). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Seabury.

    Google Scholar 

  • FRN. (2004). Developing countries farm radio network. from http://www.farmradio.org/english/anniversary.

  • Girard, B. (2003). The one to watch: Radio, new ICTs and interactivity. Rome: FAO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, D., & Levin, M. (1998). Introduction to action research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hafkin, N. (2000). Convergence of concepts: Gender and ICTs in Africa. Ottawa: IDRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hafkin, N., & Taggart, N. (2001). Gender, information technology and developing countries: An analytic study. Washington, D.C.: WID Office USAID.o. Document Number.

  • Heeks, R. (2002). Promise and Practice. Manchester: Institute for Development Policy and Managemento. Document Number.

  • Heeks, R. (2003). Most eGovernment-for-Development Projects Fail: How Can Risks be Reduced? : IDPMo. Document Number.

  • Huyer, S., & Hafkin, N. (2006). Cinderella or Cyberella?: Empowering women in the knowledge society. Bloomfield: Kumarian.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huyer, S. and Sikoska, T. (2003). Overcoming the gender digital divide: Understanding ICTs and their potential for empowerment of women: United Nationso. Document Number.

  • Ilboudo, J.-P. (1999). Rural radio in Africa. Oxford: James Currey.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jato, M. (2004). Gender-responsive programming for poverty reduction. Addis Ababa: UNFPA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, M. (1999). The wireless toolbox: A guide to using low-cost radio communication systems for telecommunication in developing countries—An African perspective. Ottawa: IDRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, M. (2002). Bridging the digital divide in the 21st Century. Paper presented at the Septermber 2002 UN ICT Task Force. from http://www.unicttaskforce.org/thirdmeeting/documents/jensen%20v6.htm.

  • Jensen, H. (2005). Women, media and ICTS in UN politics: Progress or Backlash? . Paper presented at the South Asia Pre-WSIS Seminar. from http://www.itforchange.net/WSIS/gis/papers/heike-jensen.doc.

  • Juang, P., Oki, H., Wang, Y., Martonosi, M., Peh, L., & Rubenstein, D. (2002). Energy efficient computing for wildlife tracking: Design tradeoffs and early experiences with ZebraNet. Paper presented at the Tenth Intl. Conference on Architectural Support for Programming Languages and Operating Systems.

  • Kenny, C. (2002). Information and communication technologies for direct poverty alleviation: Costs and benefits. Development Policy Review, 20, 141–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klasen, S. (1999). Does gender inequality reduce growth and development? Evidence from cross-country regressions. World Banko: Washington D.C. Document Number.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurian, R., & Toyama, K. (2007). Review of research on rural PC Kiosks o. Document Number.

  • Maguire, P. (1987). Doing participatory research: a feminist approach. Amherst: University of Massachusetts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massey, D. (1994). Space, place and gender. Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matewa, C. (2002). Media and the empowerment of communities for social change. Manchester: University of Manchester.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayanja, M. (2001). The Nakaseke multipurpose community telecentre in Uganda. In C. Latchem & D. Walker (Eds.), Telecentres: Case studies and key issues. Commonwealth of Learning.

  • McKinley, M., & Jensen, L. (2005). In our own voices: reproductive health radio programming in the Peruvian Amazon. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 20(2), 180–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India). (2006). Guidelines for Applyling Licenses for Setting up Community Radio Station. from http://www.mib.nic.in/informationb/CODES/licenradio.htm.

  • Momo, R. (2000). Expanding women’s access to ICTs in Africa. Ottawa: IDRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrell, C., & Sterling, R. (2006). ICT strategies for gender empowerment: Actionable approaches and recommendations. Paper presented at the at International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development 2006, Berkeley.

  • Mulama, J. (2005). Putting community radio on the map in Africa. Inter Press Service News Agency.

  • Musanshi, M. (2004). Spreading the impact of community radio stations across Zambia. from http://www.iicd.org/articles/iicdnews.2004-12-14.1069141762/.

  • O’Connor, A. (1990). The miners’ radio stations in Bolivia. Journal of Communication, 40, 102–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Offor, J. (2002). Community radio and its influence in the society: The case of Enugu State—Nigeria. Frankfurt: IKO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ojo, T. (2003). Wiring sub-Saharan Africa for development. International Journal of Education and Development using ICT, 1(3).

  • Opoku-Mensah, A. (2000). ICTs as tools of democratization: African women speak out. In E. Rathgeber & E. Adera (Eds.), Gender and the information revolution in Africa. Ottawa: IDRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parpart, J. (2000). Theoretical perspectives on gender and development. Ottawa: IDRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perntland, A., Fletcher, R., & Hasson, A. (2004). DakNet: Rethinking Connectivity in Developing Nations. Computer, January 2004.

  • Primo, N. (2003). Gender Issues in the Information Society. Paris: UNESCO o. Document Number.

  • Radloff, J., Primo, N., & Munya, A. (2004). The role of information and communication technologies in the development of African women. from http://www.comminit.com/africa/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-1421.html.

  • Reason, P., & Bradbury, H. (eds). (2001). Introduction: Inquiry and participation in search of a world worthy of human aspiration. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sibanda, J. (2001). Improving access to rural radio by `Hard-to-Reach’ women audiences. Paper presented at the First International Workshop on Farm Radio Broadcasting.

  • Sterling, S. R. (2006). Alternative dispute resolution: Strengthening social capital in Southern Uganda.

  • Sterling, S.R. & Bennett, J. (2006). Women’s identity production through Talk-Back Enhanced Community Radio. Paper presented at the Mapping the New Field of Communication for Development and Social Change.

  • Stoecker, R. (2005). Research methods for community change. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subramaniam, V. (2006). Community radio gest its day. India Together.

  • Sultan, J. (1998). Rural radio stations: Listening to the people of the countryside: European Uniono. Document Number.

  • UN. (2005). Human Development Report 2005. New York: UNDP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Visvanathan, N., Duggan, L., Nisonoff, L., & Wiegersma, N. (1997). The women, gender and development reader. London: Zed Books Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallerstein, N., & Bernstien, E. (1988). Empowerment Education: Frieire’s ideas adapted to health education. Health Education Quarterly, 15(4), 379–394.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wanyeki, L. M. (2001). Community radio provides women a way to have their voices heard. Niemann Reports, Harvard University Press, 55(4), 75–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warnock, K. (2001). Through Radio (DTR) Radio Listening Clubs, Zambia: Impact Evaluation Report: Panos Southern Africao. Document Number.

  • Warthman, F. (2003). Delay Tolerant Networks, A Tutorial. from http://www.ipnsig.org/reports/DTN_Tutorial11.pdf.

  • WEF. (2003). Global Information technology Report 2002–2003. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E. (1996). The Information Revolution Comes to Africa: CSISo. Document Number.

  • Zabala, E. (2005). Gender equality in education: world fails to meet MDG 3. from http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/3207.html.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ATLAS Institute, University of Colorado at Boulder, 320 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309-0320, USA

    S. Revi Sterling & John K. Bennett

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Colorado, 425 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309-0425, USA

    John O’Brien

Authors
  1. S. Revi Sterling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John O’Brien
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John K. Bennett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Revi Sterling.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sterling, S.R., O’Brien, J. & Bennett, J.K. Advancement through interactive radio. Inf Syst Front 11, 145–154 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-009-9170-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-009-9170-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation