CAPTION: Sharon Bhagwan Rolls. File Photo.
The experiences of Pacific women broadcasters will be featured in the first episode of a new morning show which is being launched Fiji and the Pacific’s first women-led community radio station FemLINKPACIFIC as part of its community media campaign which is linking the priorities of the 2013 UN Commission on the Status of Women and International Women’s Day Campaign.
“Morning WAVES on FemTALK 89FM Suva” will be hosted from FemLINKPACIFIC’ s Nasese community media centre from 7am to 10am on weekdays starting on Monday 4 March and will provide an additional 15 hour broadcast platform in Suva to feature radio programmes from rural centres as well as to promote women in decision making through the “Here are the Women” segment.
And when the show begins it will feature renowned Pacific broadcaster Bernadette Rounds Ganilau of Fiji and Lisa Horiwapu of the Solomon Islands:
“The 2 week broadcast launch will be an opportunity to continue our organisation’s efforts to profile the contribution of women in so many sectors of society including in the media. Through our community radio station we are able to the airtime to undertake in-depth conversations and dialogue on opportunities and challenges to advancing gender equality from a diversity of perspectives from women,” says FemLINKPACIFIC’ s Executive Director Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, who is the Executive Producer and Station Manager adding that the community radio programmes will cover issues ranging from rural women’s priorities, women and disability rights as well as women in faith and society:
“The radio content links to our organisation commitment to promote the participation of women in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security because without women’s full and equal participation in decision making we cannot achieve sustainable peace and democracy.”
According to Bhagwan-Rolls the expansion of the broadcast hours in Suva is a result of the development of a core group of young women producers and broadcasters who have been part of FemLINKPACIFIC’ s Generation Next project:
“Since the project began in 2006 we have equipped more than 200 young women with the broadcast and production skills and the team managing the new morning show represent the capacity we have within the organisation to not only produce radio programmes in rural centres but also deliver them to an audience in the capital city,” she said, ”This is an exciting programme development as we also recognize the incredible opportunity for one of our young women producers/ broadcasters, Maria Tauleka to co-produce and host the new programme so we also hope you will also support Maria and the other young women through your support and participation in this broadcast campaign.”
Currently FemLINKPACIFIC hosts weekend broadcasts in Suva and fortnightly broadcasts in Labasa with mobile “suitcase radio” broadcasts around Viti Levu.
The organisation is supported by the European Union and the International Women’s Development Programme.
PRESS RELEASE