WOMEN BASED PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS AS A TOOL FOR WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY IN CHENNAI, INDIA

Abstract:
In India, public, private and community radio stations air several radio programs for development. It is essential that in a developing country like India, the active participation of women is crucial to lead development plans successfully and for programs related to family, education, health, and nutrition, etc. There is awareness regarding the importance of women and the problems faced by them. Though women based radio stations are very less in India, the commercial radio stations tend to regularly broadcast programs that are based on timely women-centric issues. In this connection, the present study intends to analyze whether women based programs are useful. The study reveals that the programs of All India Radio (AIR) act as a tool for sharing knowledge and information intended for women’s development and for achieving gender equality. Private radio stations use social media more than public broadcaster for popularizing their programs and events conducted for women’s development. The campaigns conducted by private radio stations created awareness on the safety of women and the facilities available to ensure women’s safety and encouraged women to learn self-defence. Due to the health awareness programs aired by the community radio stations, women in the community got information about remedies and treatment for women-related problems, thereby resolving their fear about health problems.

Keywords: radio, women’s development, radio stations, listeners, community

https://doi.org/10.37948/ensemble-2020-0201-a018