Science for Women’s Health & Nutrition: 2016-2017

In the year 2016, CEMCA carried out the fifth phase of the project “Science for Women’s Health and Nutrition” catalyzed and supported by the National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science & Technology, in fourteen Community Radio Stations across India. The project aims to reach out to the women of the marginalized sections of the society (in poorly literate as well as literary challenged sections), both in the urban and rural sectors across the country, to increase their awareness and knowledge about health issues and their locally possible solutions through the means of community radio. Through participatory programmes specially designed with specific issues in focus and using the community in participatory forms of radio-programming, this project tries to study how best women can be encouraged to take benefits of science and scientific knowledge in daily life.

CEMCA, being the nodal agency, with its expertise in research, community participation and capacity building has played an extensive role regarding the implementation and monitoring the project. The project has been designed and implemented in three stages namely, Baseline Study, Capacity Building and Content Creation. CEMCA appointed experts for administering the three crucial components and provided support to the respective CR stations for strengthening the operations of this ambitious endeavour.

CEMCA experts, Ms. Shirley Deepak, Dr. Rajendra Mishra and Dr. Sushmita Malaviya, carried out the baseline surveys in order to gauge the problems and needs of women located in the listening zone of fourteen CR stations. On completion of this, CEMCA embarked on the capacity building activity of community women with a view to facilitate them in programme production on the identified topics which emerged as a sequel to the analysis of baseline survey. A total of 140 programmes were produced during the entire project under the guidance of 20 capacity building and content creation experts and about 140 other experts who were part of the Advisory Committee for the project.

The reports for the fourteen CR stations have been prepared and printed along with a consolidated report with a focused analysis of priority areas where the CR stations need to work. The entire project was carried out within a DST grant of US $1,00,000 (INR 65/USD).