Jordan: Community Radio Station Tackles Issues Affecting Women and Youth

Internews

(March 5, 2009) Farah Al Nas, a Internews-founded community radio station in Jordan that focuses on women and youth issues, is tackling topics that are usually taboo on the airwaves.

Based in Amman, the station recently held a week-long campaign dealing with violence against women that featured the voices of women affected by violence. It was a rare moment to hear women talking openly on the air about their experiences of rape and domestic violence.

In January, when a six-year old child was killed by a truck in the residential area of Abu Alanda, community members grew upset at how many children had been injured or killed by trucks passing through that neighborhood. Working with all affected parties, Farah Al Nas held a successful campaign to ban trucks from entering the area.

“I am very happy with what we have achieved so far at Farah Al Nas,” said Haitham Atoom, the station manager. “Our programs are out there, people are listening and we are responsive to their requests. I have great expectations for Farah Al Nas.”

Internews trains and supports young people ages 10 to 24 to operate the radio station. The young journalists learn the technical and journalistic skills needed to operate a community radio station.

Run by and for the local community, Farah Al Nas produces three main programs dealing with women, youth and social issues:

“Woman Today,” broadcast twice weekly, deals with issues such as women’s right to education, a career, and life and discrimination against women whether judicial or societal. It also stresses the importance of empowering women financially and intellectually . Some topics of discussion are: Jordanian women’s right to give their nationality to their children; the right to get promoted based on qualifications rather than gender; the right to all vacations as per the labor law; and injustice to women due to the what so called “honor crimes” and sexual harassment.

“Youth” deals with the concerns and aspirations of young people and is aired three times weekly.

Min Qalb El Nass (“From the Heart of the People”) deals with people’s daily concerns
Farah Al Nas began broadcasting in May of 2008 and was established by Internews Network, the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) through a grant from the US Department of State.