Media Action Insight Blog Feed

How do media in Bangladesh understand gender sensitivity?

2023-05-23T15:20:00+00:00

Bangladesh ranks 163rd in the world in the Press Freedom Index and journalists face difficult working conditions, with poor pay and little job security. ��tv Media Action has been working through Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED) to support local media associations in their efforts at change. In this third of three articles, our guest blogger Udisa Islam, special correspondent for the Bangla Tribune, examines the issue of gender equality in media in Bangladesh.

The time has come to question how Bangladesh’s media outlets are navigating gender equality. Our mass media has reached adulthood, after a history of ups and downs. One significant way to measure the maturity of media is its sensitivity to issues of gender. We need to find solutions to the questions of why the media should become gender-sensitive, and how.

It is time to talk about the presence of women in media, the representation of women in media, and the working environment for women working in media.

It is cliché to state that journalism is challenging. Since the beginning of my work in the media, I have often heard that women face greater risk in this profession. In a country like Bangladesh, where only 12 percent of households are led by women and men retain most decision-making roles, it can be a challenge just to comprehend a woman’s life and identity outside the domestic sphere.

According to Management and Resources Development Initiative’s (MRDI) recent research, women journalists are facing discrimination, directly or indirectly, in media in Bangladesh. Only 10 per cent of media’s staff here are women, and very few are in decision-making positions. They recommend that to address this, media experts, society leaders, and development partners must work together.

Gender sensitivity in presentation and presence

But what about how women are represented in media? According to the MRDI study, most news stories including women do so either because they are in an important position, or part of an event. In most news stories, women are either the subject of the story or narrators of their experiences. Representation of women as experts is extremely rare, particularly in stories about politics and governance. However, in news about violence and torture, women are shown excessively.

Now let's examine gender sensitivity in presentation and presence. There have been positive changes identified, for instance, around how women are described, and ensuring that women who are abuse survivors can rely on anonymity in media. However, if we consider the rate at which our media has grown since 2000, this particular progress fails spectacularly to become noteworthy. As long as patriarchy is ingrained in our brains, simply 'following the rules' and behaving sensibly will in itself prove to be a Herculean task. If we do not adopt gender sensitivity in our own behaviour and personal life, then these negative habits are bound to be conveyed in media in one way or another.

How to achieve change

We like to think that we are learning to become 'gender sensitive', and taking training to learn it, and we have the opportunity to converse about these topics. But then, we are failing to remove the concept of patriarchy from our brains. As a result, overall and fundamental change is still a long way off.

However, if someone enters to journalism after preparing to become a more gender-sensitive person, follows ethical practices, and if there is an institutional practice of good journalism, then the number of women in media will increase and the representation of women in mass media will also change.

But as long as our media remain separated from this way of thinking, true freedom in representation might never become a reality.

Udisa Islam is a Special Correspondent for the Bangla Tribune. She can be reached at udisaislam@gmail.com.

Read the first blog in the series here - and the second here.

Read more about PRIMED here.

Realities and opportunities for Bangladesh's media

2023-05-17T14:12:06+00:00

Bangladesh ranks 163rd in the world in the Press Freedom Index and journalists face difficult working conditions, with poor pay and little job security. ��tv Media Action has been working through Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED) to support local media associations in their efforts at change. In this second in a series of three articles, Bangladesh Global TV Editor in Chief Syed Ishtiaque Reza explores recent findings on working conditions for journalists in Bangladesh and discusses the pressures on local media.

"In our childhood, affluent people used to keep pet dogs. Later, people who gained wealth started to keep media.

These [media] are like Alsatian dogs."

This was a remark by a top politician at a public meeting in Bangladesh. This lawmaker is not alone. Many politicians and social stalwarts on many occasions make such disparaging remarks about journalists and the profession in general. And, in our sharply divided political environment, Bangladesh’s journalist community is also divided by politics. There are two trade union bodies, each with its own political allegiances..

Media are under political, economic and legal threats in Bangladesh. The economic impacts of the COVID—19 pandemic and of rising oil, food, fertiliser and other commodity prices due to the war in Ukraine is visible in every sector of the economy. This has sparked a cost-of-living crisis in Bangladesh, drained the central bank’s reserves at an alarming rate, and led the government into harsh austerity measures.

This has disrupted the media industry too. A new survey found that journalists from across the country are bearing great personal financial impact from this situation.

Economic calamity for media houses

Bangladesh media traditionally operates in a difficult environment. Even before this situation, media revenues were falling. The pandemic followed by the war’s impact on the national economy has just accelerated this deterioration, resulting in an economic calamity for media houses. The rise of social media and acceleration in mobile consumption have also forced changes in the way media companies usually make money, from advertising and selling their content.

According to data from the Information Ministry of Bangladesh, there are now 44 approved television channels, 22 FM radios, 32 community radios, 1,187 daily newspapers and more than 100 online news portals in Bangladesh.

A recent survey conducted by Broadcast Journalists’ Centre (BJC) among 23 television channels produced a very dismal picture of the broadcast industry. Only eight percent of television networks pay their employees regularly by the 10th of the month and only 50 percent of the channels pay festival bonuses. Only one television outlet has introduced gratuity benefits for employees, common in other industries as a reward for service. As many as 13 media houses have systems to terminate their employees without giving prior notice. Eighteen channels don’t cover medical expenses for on-duty injuries. There are no weekly and public holidays in 11 percent of the television channels. Almost all pay nothing for annual leave. The BJC survey also revealed that journalists do not talk about their legal rights, for fear of losing their jobs.

Ads drying up

With businesses closed, advertisements have dried up, adversely affecting the routine operation of the media industry. Media houses’ overall approach now is to tighten their belts. Newspapers have reduced pages; television channels have reduced their commissions. Their main focus is now low-cost talk shows on Internet platforms with live coverage for hours. Some newspapers and online portals have dismissed employees, while some have sent employees on forced leave.

Complicating media sustainability is that, over the past few decades, people with access to the corridors of power in business and politics have traditionally successfully influenced the dissemination of information through media houses, by owning a majority share in these outlets. They influenced content for their own interests. Media ownership significantly affects the perspectives presented in reporting, with bias and inefficiency then inevitable.

And now, the situation is allowing more opportunities for government voices and administrators to occupy spaces in media.

Failing to generate digital revenue

A few media houses have succeeded in drawing revenue from the digital space. But many have failed. Bangladesh’s media industry needs financial remodelling with more institutional approaches from the owners. Televisions and newspapers will not reach people without content that meet audiences’ demands.

We believe that political or business capture of the media cannot continue for long. People’s engagement with media is high; they seek quality information from reputable providers. Younger people have grown up with Internet culture; their desire to consume and pay is an indication of improving value. Connecting to this segment of the population will convince advertisers to invest more in reliable content. I have seen that the younger generation will pay for news - but they want more independent and public interest content.

Love what they produce

It is said that the media love a crisis. But now the media need to love what they produce: they must remain true to their mandate of public interest content. Without good journalism, the media here will simply die out; the current situation is a red signal to conventional media approaches. Digital professionals, digital audiences and digital platforms have come together to prioritise professionalism, and journalism for the people. And media houses must consider this in their business development strategies, in order to survive and think about their own value.

Today the media landscape is in real crisis – we have media against media, political challenges and even civil society challenges. All of these relationships are in urgent need of repair, redress and balance. We know that freedom without responsibility is as bad as governing without accountability. This extraordinary episode in time must serve as a reminder of this truth to us all.

Syed Ishtiaque Reza is the Editor in Chief of Global Television. He can be reached on ishtiaquereza@gmail.com

Read the first blog in the series here - and the third here.

Read more about PRIMED here.

Shoring up Bangladesh’s ‘fourth pillar’: Examining journalists’ rights and responsibilities in Bangladesh

2023-05-17T13:32:51+00:00

Bangladesh ranks 163^rd in the world in the Press Freedom Index and journalists face difficult working conditions, with poor pay and little job security. ��tv Media Action has been working through Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED) to support local media associations in their efforts at change. In this series of three articles, we examine recent findings on working conditions, and hear directly from local journalists about the pressures on local media, and how to address gender representation in media.

The COVID-19 pandemic ended Selim (not his real name)’s 12-year career in television.

But Selim received no compensation or medical insurance from his former employer. And he was not alone: countless TV reporters in Bangladesh faced the same fate, due to the lack of a separate labour law for broadcast journalists in Bangladesh. Others who retained their jobs received irregular payments; most outlets did not follow national wage board structures.

Data from a recent survey conducted by the Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) shows the ‘fourth pillar’ of our state is at risk: their labour rights are not being protected, at outlet and national level.

Free press and media are crucial components of democracy. While celebrating the fundamental principles of press freedom, including freedom of expression, as a driver for all other human rights, it is critical to also consider the neglect of basic employment standards for broadcast journalists in Bangladesh – and the subsequent impact on the media environment in the country.

According to data from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, in Bangladesh, there are 44 approved televisions, 22 FM radios, 32 community radios, 1,187 daily newspapers, and more than 100 online news portals. The survey done by BJC covers only 23 TV channels – but sheds much light on working conditions and benefits provided.

Irregular pay, no benefits

The Broadcast Journalism Safety Report 2023 reveals some staggering figures. Among the stations they surveyed, only 8% pay regular salaries within the 10th day of every month, and 92% failed to pay salaries to journalists regularly. Only 2% of the channels had health and life insurance benefits for their employees; only 3% had created retirement funds. An estimated 12% of the channels had provisions for maternity leave and just 1% for paternity leave. And threats of lay-off loom large: 93% of the channels were reported to have fired employees without any prior notice, while 98% of the channels did not offer any compensation to dismissed employees. The report indicates that the Bangladesh Labour Act of 2006 is insufficient in protecting broadcast journalists’ rights.

The media industry in Bangladesh has evolved so much. But gender equality also remains a concern, both at media outlets, and in their content. A recent study done by MRDI shows female journalists face active and passive discrimination at work. Only 10% of total employees in organisations surveyed are women, and very few are in decision-making roles. Most outlets also do not have any written editorial guidelines to ensure fair and ethical treatment of women.

��tv Media Action aims to support all media outlets and their media professionals to practice stronger public interest journalism, so they can produce trusted content that keeps the audience at its heart. Our Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED) project is working to support the development of a healthier information ‘ecosystem’, addressing challenges for media outlets and in the broader information environment. This includes a series of workshops on gender representation in content and safeguarding and respect in the workplace, as well as addressing regulatory challenges. Through PRIMED ��tv Media Action also supported its media partners to develop written editorial guidelines.

A new law

Recently, an initiative has been taken by the Government of Bangladesh to introduce a new law covering television journalists, the Mass Media Employees Bill. The Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) and other media associations are now advocating for changes to create a more inclusive and effective bill that truly protects their rights.

��tv Media Action and International Media Support (IMS) have been providing technical support to BJC to identify gaps and develop concrete recommendations, while empowering local and sector partners to drive forward positive change for media reform and protecting journalists’ working conditions.

The sector is encouraged by a response to this report from the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, who acknowledged the needs and expressed his interest in a multi-party consultation among the owners of broadcasting channels, journalists, and representatives from the standing committee, with an eye to revising the law.

Critical need for trust

Right now, there is a critical need to retain and restore public trust in mainstream media in Bangladesh. BJC is developing a Code of Ethics for the industry with the technical support of ��tv Media Action and IMS, aimed at improved editorial practices for all TV networks.

The combination of increased safety and security at work for journalists, and an entrenched and shared understanding of ethics, can truly boost public interest journalism.

This is the first blog in a series of three from Bangladesh. Read the second here, and third one here.

Read more about PRIMED here.

Out from the shadows: Tackling the stigma of disability in refugee communities

2022-11-30T10:29:05+00:00

A Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Mrittika Deb Purba/��tv Media Action Bangladesh

Cox’s Bazar is the home of more than 900,000 Rohingya people living in refugee camps, of whom an estimated 12% are people with disabilities. We recently conducted research with people with disabilities living in the camps, to understand what barriers they face in accessing information, participating in decision-making activities, making complaints and giving feedback to the humanitarian agencies working there.

“Invisible” people in Rohingya camps

During our fieldwork, we realised how hard it was to find people with disabilities to talk to in the Rohingya camps. It was difficult to find people with disabilities in public spaces – as if they were invisible - and when asking other camp residents where we might find people with disabilities, we had to use disparaging terms for them to understand who we meant, as they are often referred to only by their impairments. We also sought support from humanitarian practitioners working with this group, to help us identify potential research participants.

Once we found participants to speak to, we observed that most of their shelters were located either up steep hills, or beside drains. And the roads to reach their shelters were typically unstable and uneven. We wondered: if we are struggling to get to them on foot, then how are people with a physical disability managing to get around? Are they able to move from their shelters? As it was the rainy season, another question came into our minds: if there was a landslide, how fast would people with disabilities be alerted to the danger, and would they be able to move when the roads are slippery and muddy? When we reached their shelters, we noticed that often families would keep women with disabilities (especially those with hearing, vision and learning impairments) ‘out of sight’ in dark parts of the shelter, with little air, which was not the case for men with disabilities. We asked ourselves – why is it that women with disabilities are kept hidden from view by their families?

Barriers aggravate their “invisible” condition

Our research identified that people with disabilities face a series of barriers in accessing information, beginning at home. They often do not know where to get information, which makes them dependent on their family members or caregivers. And even if they know where to go, they are often not permitted to go out alone, as family members fear they will injure themselves on the slippery mud or steep slopes - even if they do not have a physical disability and are able to walk themselves. Instead, family members may try to carry them themselves, or seek assistance from neighbours to carry them; however, neighbours may charge for this help, which families may struggle to afford.

Stigma is another barrier to going out: people with disabilities and their families fear being humiliated by other community members, and have experienced abuse, from being calling discriminatory names to having stones thrown at them. Because of this stigma and abuse, family members are often reluctant to accompany people with disabilities outside, and sometimes people with disabilities may hide themselves from the community.

To minimise these barriers, organisations working to support people with disabilities have mobile teams and door-to-door services to reach people with disabilities with information. However, our research identified further barriers. The mobile teams are often staffed by a limited number of community volunteers, who may be unable to cover the whole camp, and so do not reach people with disabilities who live in more remote areas. When they do reach people’s shelters, they may ask family members or caregivers about the problems or concerns of the person with disabilities, rather than checking with the person themselves. When we asked practitioners working for organisations supporting people with disabilities about this, they explained that family members often have mechanisms to communicate with their disabled family member - for example, if that person is hearing impaired and does not use international sign language. However, this excuse is not relevant for someone with a disability which is not communication related.

Negative experiences at sessions

These barriers, throughout the year, constrain people with disabilities from participating in any meetings in the camps, excluding them from decision-making processes. We did find that some research participants had attended awareness-raising sessions – even though they were organised far from their homes. But some said their experiences were so negative that they were unwilling to attend further meetings.

A 32-year-old woman with a vision impairment told us:

“When we arrived at the meeting, the volunteer said that the meeting was not for me and I requested her to let me enter as I cannot go back alone. She let me enter and asked me to sit in a corner of the room. When they start meeting, I was having problems hearing clearly so I asked my neighbour what she just said. And that time, the community volunteer shouted at me for interrupting her discussion. Her behaviour made me sad and after that day, I never went to any meetings."

Afraid to ask questions

We heard these kinds of examples from both male and female participants with physical, visual, and hearing impairments. These experiences affected their desire to participate and be heard. They told us they often don’t ask questions, because everything is new to them, and they lack confidence asking questions of those they perceive as more educated. Some said they feel shy talking in front of people without disabilities.

We have learned from our research that we all need to increase our efforts to be more inclusive in the way that we communicate with these ‘invisible people’ to ensure that they have the accessible information they need and are able to participate in decision-making forums. Humanitarian agencies are scaling their support for people with disabilities in the camps. But now, in the fifth year of the Rohingya refugee crisis, more effort is required to understand their experiences, fears and needs, and address their barriers, so that they feel confident and empowered to communicate with, and participate in, the wider community.

A fully inclusive response

Humanitarian actors should take steps to make their response fully inclusive: ensuring a smooth and accessible information flow within the camps so that people with disabilities can obtain information without difficulty; supporting experts so they are better able to communicate with people with disabilities; focusing on sensitising and educating communities to reduce stigma against people with disabilities; supporting people with disabilities to participate meaningfully in meetings; and mentoring caregivers to be a strong support rather than a barrier to participation. ��tv Media Action could play a vital role in this work: through developing and sharing relevant content which is accessible for all, and features people with disabilities, and training humanitarian staff on interpersonal communication skills and inclusion, to ensure they are reaching everyone.

Supporting independent media through coalition building - the ultimate stress test

2022-01-04T10:53:26+00:00

You could be forgiven for thinking (as I did) that coalition-building is a field of media development where international organisations can play only a modest role.

However, the experiences of local stakeholders who have been involved in long-running advocacy initiatives suggest otherwise. The “Coalitions for Change” workshop held by the PRIMED (Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development) programme, led by ��tv Media Action, in autumn 2021 offered a unique insight into the potential for balanced partnerships between international and local actors to bring about systemic change.

Success requires understanding and political savvy

The challenges are daunting. Coalition-building is a complex set of moving parts that is, to a large extent, hostage to the vagaries of the political, economic and social landscape – and multiple factors over which international organisations have limited influence or control. There are no shrink-wrapped solutions or off-the-shelf frameworks. Success relies on an in-depth understanding of the local operating environment, trust-based relationships with key stakeholders and plenty of political dexterity.

At first glance, it is difficult to see how international organisations can bring added value to what the French would call “an internal kitchen”. It could even be argued that external support is counter-productive since there is a danger that it will be perceived as interventionist or agenda-driven. Furthermore, top-down approaches can damage the sense of ownership and buy-in which are crucial to locally driven initiatives.

Yet the PRIMED workshop showcased several examples of successful coalitions which have been steered – and, in two cases, initiated – by international partners. The mutual benefits of these relationships were clearly articulated. First and foremost, such partners can provide unique access to experience and expertise from comparable environments. The value of these peer-to-peer exchanges is self-evident. Local stakeholders are given the chance to see how similar challenges have been addressed and overcome by their counterparts in other countries. This approach works well when it comes to developing new legislation, regulatory structures or ethical codes.

The PRIMED team in Bangladesh is mentoring journalists from a regional newspaper, Daily Gramer Kagoj, among other outlets, to produce accurate and engaging online content. Credit: ��tv Media Action Bangladesh

International support can boost local confidence

These exchanges can be instrumental in building ownership for results, as local stakeholders are empowered to decide what works for them and choose appropriate solutions. These capacity-building efforts can be rolled out in different ways – through remote exchanges between peers, through on-site mentoring or, in the case of the International Federation of Journalists’ efforts to develop a 'Declaration on Media Freedom in the Arab World', through an extensive online consultation bringing together experts from across the region.

Second, international support can be highly effective in boosting the confidence of local actors. Media practitioners often experience a sense of isolation: they believe their problems to be unique and that, in any case, the outside world is largely indifferent to the challenges they face. External support helps to demonstrate that they are not alone, that they have loyal allies in what can be a gruelling battle of wills between civil society actors and political elites. As noted Jane Chirwa at the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in Zambia, these partnerships can also help promote international benchmarks, which serve to set the aspirations of industry players and government stakeholders alike.

The third area highlighted by PRIMED workshop participants was the role of international partners in unlocking funding streams and coordinating the efforts of the wider development community. The latter is, in my view, crucial for international support efforts worldwide and is sadly lacking in many regions. Frictions exist between implementing organisations competing for grants. There is also a spirit of competition between donor agencies which share an understandable desire to fund the most innovative projects and remain ahead of the curve. The result is widespread duplication and a limited appetite for pooling resources.

Asking for what is needed

But, for me, one of the most interesting takeaways from the PRIMED workshop was the observation that local partners should feel empowered to request the kind of support they need. Too often donors and international agencies base their programmes on assumptions and preconceptions. In extreme cases, the unwritten mantra seems to be: “Our experience in similar environments tells us that this is what you need.” Moreover, an insistence on quick-wins and time-bound results means that donors are often unwilling to invest in a slow burn, even if it has greater potential to deliver long-term impact.

Coalition-building is the ultimate stress test for effective partnerships between international partners and local beneficiaries. Coalitions require a joined up approach that takes full advantage of the unique qualities and assets that each stakeholder has to offer. They require an ability to adapt to changing circumstances and seize opportunities as and when they arise. Most of all, they depend on long-term support from international partners who are prepared to acknowledge that progress will be slow and the rewards may be very different from those which were initially envisaged.

Donors are not known for having limitless patience or sharing an appetite for risk. But if they do not invest in initiatives which can foster an enabling environment for independent media to operate, their efforts to build capacity in other areas are likely to have muted resonance.

Michael Randall has worked in the media development sector for more than 20 years, mostly for ��tv Media Action where he led large-scale projects aimed at promoting public interest journalism in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Michael currently works as an independent consultant, focusing on project design and development as well as monitoring, evaluation and learning.

PRIMED is a ground-breaking media support project in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone, led by ��tv Media Action with support from Free Press Unlimited, International Media Support, the Media Development Investment Fund, Global Forum for Media Development and The Communication Initiative, where a version of this blog first appeared. PRIMED is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The case for communication: COVID-19 in Cox’s Bazar

2021-06-17T08:11:21+00:00

Back in March 2020, everyone was worried about what would happen when the COVID-19 pandemic reached the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. It is one of the most densely populated parts of the world, with challenging sanitation and limited health care resources; over 800,000 people live in tarpaulin shelters on unstable slopes and up to 12 inhabitants share each shelter.

Experts warned that up to 98% of the population would be infected during the first year and, without effective intervention, the hospital’s 340 beds would be full to bursting within 2-5 months.

By late March, Bangladesh authorities had restricted movement in and out of the camps, and on 8 April the Bangladesh government imposed a lockdown banning all travel into and out of the district. But in May, COVID-19 was confirmed in two Rohingya refugees and 10 Bangladeshis living nearby.

Looking back, we now know the situation was not as catastrophic as anticipated; cases in the camps remained lower than initially predicted, even as they rose across the country.

Research demonstrates some success

Why this happened is difficult to explain. But our research has demonstrated one success: the level of awareness among the Rohingya population about COVID-19, driven by sustained work by several agencies including the Common Service for Community Engagement and Accountability, led by ��tv Media Action, which has been supporting Rohingya people and host communities to cope with COVID-19.

We carried out a face-to-face survey in January 2021, among nearly 2,700 Rohingya refugees and more than 1,000 people in adjacent host communities, to provide robust data on access to information and accountability in the camps. We measured the reach of our Common Service communication materials in these communities, and explored the association between exposure to this content and specific outcomes.

We found that almost two-thirds of the Rohingya population felt quite well-informed or well-informed about COVID-19, and Rohingya women felt more informed than men - 65% compared to 55%. More than 70% of Rohingya people could accurately identify COVID-19 symptoms, and said they felt well- informed about how to protect themselves. And a majority of people surveyed knew how to keep themselves safe: washing their hands with soap, which they said they didn’t do before but had been doing since the pandemic; wearing masks in public; keeping distance from people and avoiding crowds.

A vital role in informing about COVID-19

Our communication initiatives played a vital role in informing people about COVID-19, particularly for women who, because of traditional community values, are often secluded from public life with limited access to media. We found that 40% of Rohingya people had high levels of knowledge about COVID-19 – 47% among women, and 33% among men. This may be because trusted NGO staff and volunteers had been particularly effective at reaching Rohingya women through listening groups, door-to-door visits and women-friendly spaces, many of them using communication tools and techniques we have provided.

This is particularly important because we found that, unlike their host communities, the Rohingya people in the camps have limited access to mass media, and receive most of their information through these face-to-face communications interventions: meetings with NGO staff and volunteers, loud-speaker announcements, and communication materials made available at listening groups, food distribution points, health facilities and information hubs. We found that people who attend these places, and are exposed to this content, have greater knowledge about COVID-19.

This is a testament to all agencies who have been working tirelessly to communicate with the community throughout the pandemic. The Common Service project played a vital role in creating and sharing communication materials, now available on our Shongjog website for anyone to use.

At the onset of the pandemic, we produced more than 60 communication tools (Shongjog | Resources) designed to improve communication, awareness and knowledge of COVID-19 for the Rohingya and host communities, and for health workers themselves.

Following requests from the World Health Organization and other health-focused agencies, we produced videos to train frontline health workers on infection prevention and control. Several agencies also used our audio recordings for community health volunteers. Later in 2020, we produced dozens more tools in response to agency and sector requests: community-facing materials on COVID-19 awareness, prevention, and mitigation, and tip sheets for new protocols for food distribution, the re-opening of registration, the principles of case management, child protection and immunisation.

Our survey data found that 75% of the Rohingya community said they had seen or heard at least five pieces of Common Service content. And, vitally, those who had accessed our content were 1.6 times as likely to have greater knowledge about COVID-19 than those who hadn’t.

"People did not want to believe Covid is a real thing, so they [Common Service] made some videos. Imams were shown using masks in the video and it used habits and quotations from the Quran – this makes people take it seriously. This worked well. That really resonated with the community,” said a field-level practitioner in the Rohingya response.

Our researchers found community members liked the content because it was made for them, in their language; it was easy to understand; they could relate to the characters and the camp setting; and it was in line with their values.

The next deadly wave

In Cox’s Bazar, the pandemic is far from over. Since April this year, Bangladesh has again been under tough COVID-19 restrictions, following another wave of infections and the spread of the ‘Delta’ variant in neighbouring countries. Cases are also rising in the camps at a higher rate than before.

Once again, we know we need to redouble our efforts to communicate with this isolated community, living in a confined space and left out of the information shared by mass media in the region. If our research has shown us one thing, it is that with a targeted communication strategy, trustworthy, relevant, and engaging content can help save lives - even from a deadly virus.

Arif Al Mamun is ��tv Media Action's Head of Research in Bangladesh. Read more insights and impact from our Common Service project on our website.

On the front lines of the climate emergency, information is a critical defence

2019-06-05T10:22:08+00:00

In a time when people have begun to talk about Earth’s climate emergency, it is understood that climate change is already happening: in the countries in which ��tv Media Action works, our communities are already experiencing increasing and increasingly powerful droughts, flooding and extreme weather. The poorest people are the ones who feel the impact of this increasingly variable weather most, and who find it hardest to recover.

Helping people cope with these changes is an even more important part of our work. Small actions can make an enormous difference in each family’s ability to survive extreme weather and better protect their homes and livelihoods.

Our work across Asia builds on the evidence collected in our seven-country, 33,000 people research study, Climate Asia, which helped us understand how our audiences are responding to the impacts of climate change, and what role communication can play in improving their lives.

A Cambodian family we supported to build a new fresh water collection system on their roof, as part of our climate TV show Don't Wait For Rain

In Bangladesh, we found that while people are aware of the increasing frequency and severity of changes in the weather, they did not know how to respond. Measures such as diversifying crops, storing food and water for use in an emergency, working together to improve local infrastructure and finding new and more diverse ways of earning income are all steps which communities can take to help protect themselves.

This is where communication for development is at its most valuable: encouraging communities to work together to improve their preparedness for extreme weather events, and to improve their economic wellbeing.

We have now completed three series of a major reality television show aimed at doing just this. Amrai Pari (Together We Can Do It) visited communities in the most susceptible areas of the country as they work with their neighbours and, in some cases, with local government disaster management committees, to strengthen storm defences in fishing areas, make cyclone shelters child-friendly, grow new resilient crops or start new businesses. In this way, the programme inspired and informed people, providing an opportunity for communities to share their knowledge and work together to create something vital for their welfare and livelihood. Encouragingly, it has been equally popular amongst women and men across all three series.

Our research shows that it works: 78% of the audience of Amrai Pari felt it improved their understanding of how to cope with weather-related changes. Some 47% of Amrai Pari viewers said they had taken action as a result of watching the programme.

Further analysis has demonstrated that exposure to Amrai Pari was associated with increased self-confidence to take action, increased awareness of risk, increased knowledge, and an increase in talking with others about taking action. People who regularly watched Amrai Pari or saw associated public service announcements were more likely to take action than those who didn’t.

Building sturdy bridges in Bangladesh as part of our show, Amrai Pari

In Cambodia, our audiences are already experiencing the impacts of changes in the weather and the environment, particularly on their health and income. Eighty-one percent of respondents to our recent Cambodia Climate Asia survey feel these changes have affected their ability to earn money. With most people’s livelihoods dependent on land, it is concerning that half of those surveyed feel that agricultural production has decreased over the last decade, and three-quarters think the number of fish has declined.

Our climate TV show, Don’t Wait for Rain, is aimed at the audiences in Cambodia who are most vulnerable to climate change. The series showcases easily replicable and affordable techniques that people can use to protect themselves against the effects of extreme weather, such as flooding and drought. It also explores the reasons that may prevent people from planning for extreme weather in the first place, such as financial worries or a lack of confidence in trying something new.

In our survey, 37% of respondents said that they weren’t responding to climate change out of fear of discussing their actions with others, and 35% said that it didn’t fit with their religious beliefs or community culture.

We knew that building trust would be key in helping people adapt to new techniques, and that audiences would need to see people they could relate to in the show adapting these new techniques successfully to be encouraged to try it out for themselves. That’s why in each episode we pair up an ‘impact’ community struggling to cope with weather with local experts who have overcome climate challenges.

Interviewing a Cambodian woman who lost her father due to flash flooding

We are proud to say the show just won an award for “Best TV Feature on Climate Change” at the 4th Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Media Awards on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction.

Our work extends beyond creating engaging, creative content and programmes to inform, educate and inspire our audiences. We also work with a range of civil society organisations and broadcast media partner organisations, to improve their understanding of the important role of media and communication in ensuring people can take effective action – both on their own and collectively.

For communities and countries already on the front lines of the global climate emergency, information, connections and innovation are all essential elements in helping prepare for disaster, and improving their ability to recover.

A Cambodian family with their newly constructed storm house, featured on Don't Wait For Rain

5 steps to enable health workers to better meet the needs of hard-to-reach communities

2019-04-05T14:05:00+00:00

As World Health Day approaches, and as we look towards the first-ever UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage later this year, we’re sharing insights from ��tv Media Action’s work to help health workers and communities work better together to build a healthier world.

In low-income countries in Africa and Asia, many health systems are staffed by community health workers. In Nepal they are known as Female Community Health Volunteers, in Ethiopia, Health Extension Workers, while in India and Bangladesh they are generally known as Frontline Health Workers.

Whilst the names may differ, most are women, most work in remote areas, and many are volunteers. They play a vital role connecting people to, and sometimes providing, basic primary care; referring patients to clinical services and motivating families to adopt heathier practices.

All are tasked with communicating about health, but often they lack sufficient training or engaging communication tools that would help them do this more effectively.

This is where ��tv Media Action comes in. Over the last 10 years we’ve been supporting community health workers to better meet the needs of their communities. These are five important things we have learned in the process:

First, understand the world health workers live and work in

In Nepal, access to communities can be extremely challenging for Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) due to large distances and difficult terrain between communities and health centres in rural areas. What’s more, FCHVs are often balancing their responsibilities with looking after family and, as many of them are volunteers, trying to earn an income.

Whilst access to mobile networks and internet is increasing, literacy rates remain low in rural areas and our research shows that some communities feel FCHVs should know more than they currently do. It became evident that updated training and tools that fit with the practicalities of FCHVs’ day-to-day lives and the changing community needs would help.

Most FCHVs have access to a basic mobile phone and mobile network, so we’re now working with our partners to explore how training and tools for basic mobile phones will help them to carry out their duties in remote areas. We’re also developing creative printed materials to support their interaction with people of all literacy levels in their communities.

In a similar project in Bangladesh, we discovered that health workers were using heavy, cumbersome flip charts to visit their clients in urban slums, so we developed a mobile app to help them undertake their roles more effectively.

“Now I’m getting all the topics by using one app which is not possible with other tools (flash cards, flip charts, leaflets). I can deliver all relevant information by the app which was difficult for me before” said one community health worker who frequently used the app.

Second, use human centred design and build partnerships

In rural India, the catalyst for the development of our highly successful Mobile Kunji and Mobile Academy projects was women’s lack of access to traditional mass media platforms. At the start of this work, our formative research showed that only a few women watched television or listened to the radio, however 82% had access to some form of basic mobile phone. So, rather than setting up a parallel system, ��tv Media Action leveraged the one available.

Using human centred design, our India team created content that worked on basic mobile phones and suited how health workers used them – to make and receive calls only. We created Mobile Academy, a training course for health workers, which is delivered through mobile audio messages, whilst Mobile Kunji is a set of visual cards and accompanying mobile audio messages that health workers can use during visits with families. Using these services and tools, our research has shown that health workers are able to better reach, engage, and influence families to improve their health.

These projects have not only worked, but they’ve shown sustainability. By working in partnership with the state governments in Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, we’ve trained 263,000 health workers so far on Mobile Kunji and about 260,000 people have completed the Mobile Academy course.

Mobile Academy is now active in 13 states and we recently transitioned responsibility for the service to the Indian Government to continue its vital work long into the future.

Third, create relatable and accurate content to help to build trust

In Bangladesh we learnt that community health workers were struggling to communicate effectively about sexual health to young women and men, which limited the impact of their advice.

So we developed a smartphone app. It shows Dr Natasha, a real doctor, talking about some of the key sexual, reproductive, and maternal and child health issues their clients were facing. By using appropriate language tailored to their audiences, we made sure the content was relatable, accessible, and engaging – which mattered especially in areas with low literacy levels.

Our research showed us that health workers felt more trusted by their clients and were more successful in persuading them to adopt healthier practices, such as attending antenatal care visits. As one of the health workers described, “Most of my clients were not interested in listening to my suggestions before using the job aid. But now they are convinced as they see there is symmetry between Dr Natasha’s information and my own”.

We found the app also helped to give them credibility to dispel myths around issues such as contraception and family planning.

Fourth, go beyond training on health topics and train on how to communicate

Community health workers cover a wide variety of health issues on their visits. Our research often reveals the benefits of refreshing or deepening their knowledge, but also of them gaining new skills on how to communicate within a family setting. We found in remote parts of Ethiopia, communicating with the men in the family is often overlooked because family health is still seen as a woman’s responsibility.

So we ran training for Health Extension Workers which focused on how to create safer feeding and playing spaces for children under three, during which participants learned how to communicate effectively with, and actively involve, both women and men in the families.

We found role play really helped during training because it encouraged Health Extension Workers to practise how to have compelling two-way conversations.

And finally, break down the barriers between communities and health workers

Mistrust and suspicion between communities and health workers is common in many of the places we work. Through our research, we often hear about these difficulties and then aim to create safe spaces for communities and health workers to come together, get to know each other, and discuss often sensitive issues.

In Nigeria we facilitate discussions around polio vaccinations and routine immunisation as part of our community drama radio recordings which are performed in front of a live audience. And, working with different partners, we accompany women during antenatal care check-ups to record what happens. By sharing real-life experiences in our radio programmes, it helps to build understanding and trust in health services amongst the public.

In Tanzania, we trained and worked with radio partners to facilitate lively community events that were recorded and broadcast in weekly radio shows to audiences across the country. The events were designed to build understanding about maternal and newborn health issues and encourage interaction with health workers. By facilitating conversations, we found people gained understanding and confidence to access health services. We also saw increased male engagement in maternal and newborn health care.

Looking forward

In summary, we’ve learnt to not only help build the skills and confidence of community health workers, but also to help improve engagement between them and members of their communities. Through creative communication and human centred design, it is possible to create more effective tools fit for the difficult environments health workers operate in. And in doing so, we’re able to help health workers and communities work better together.

Informed by our experience, ��tv Media Action plans to continue this important work towards the UHC2030 global movement, to build stronger health systems for people around the world.

Emebet Wuhib-Mutungi and Genevieve Hutchinson
Senior Health Advisors for ��tv Media Action
On Twitter: @ewuhib / @genevieveh77

The projects featured in this blog were carried out in conjunction with: national government ministries and departments of health, DFID, UNICEF, The Gates Foundation, UNFPA, Options, Abt Associates, Viamo, Care International, the Grameen Foundation and our media partners.

Why communication needs to be at the heart of humanitarian response

2018-08-31T08:00:00+00:00

“One organisation delivers blankets; then another also delivers blankets. One organisation distributes rice, and then another also distributes rice. Talking of blankets, for example, I’ve got six or seven new blankets in my home.”

These words, spoken by a Nepali man sitting on a pile of rubble after the 2015 earthquake, have stayed with me as a reminder of what needs to change in the global approach to humanitarian response.

“Instead of giving us such things, they could give us what we need, like water, for example”, echoed a woman. “We asked particularly for water pipes and they didn’t give us those. We have to go far away with a basket to collect water.”

At the root of this absurd situation were a number of key problems.

Among them, the perpetual issues of coordination and professionalism. When lots of agencies are planning to help people, it’s clear that there needs to be a basic discussion on which agency does what, and where. In fairness, things have come a long way in the aid sector since high-profile humanitarian response fiascos of the 90s, such as the aftermath of the Rwanda genocide, led to an increasing professionalisation of aid and steadily better coordination. In all big humanitarian responses, there are now frequent coordination meetings where these important conversations happen, and do make a difference. But there are still gaps, as we saw in Nepal.

The other problem was about not listening to the people you are trying to help.

It has taken the aid world a long time to realise that there might be value in putting the needs and views of affected people at the heart of decision-making.

Listening to people can be time-consuming, especially if they don’t speak your language, and it gets all the more inconvenient when what you hear does not match with your preconceived ideas about what you should be doing. It’s far easier to make assumptions about what to give people, dole out whatever you previously promised your funder you would deliver, and measure success in terms of total numbers of blankets and bags of rice distributed.

But how can we hope to really help the people we are serving if we don’t find out what they need?

This issue is at the heart of the still-emerging field of what is increasingly referred to as Communication, Community Engagement and Accountability (CCEA). The past few years have seen big strides towards recognising that crisis-affected people need timely humanitarian information, are able to participate in decisions that affect them, and have access to responsive complaints mechanisms. Key international policies and guidelines (including the Transformative Agenda, the Grand Bargain and the Core Humanitarian Standard) include strong reference to this.

What is needed now is a more systematic application of these standards, more people with the skillsets to implement them and - underpinning it all – more dedicated funding. But the humanitarian community has learned a lot and there are encouraging examples of progress.

Putting theory into practice

The United Nations describes the Rohingya emergency as currently the “fastest-growing refugee crisis”. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people have fled their homes in Myanmar and now find themselves in vast, sprawling camps over the border in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Early assessments found, as usual, that communication, feedback and accountability mechanisms in the camps had numerous shortcomings. Since those assessments, ��tv Media Action has been among the agencies who have received funding for community engagement and accountability activities and we now see a number of areas where things are clearly working far better than usual.

Firstly, CCEA is very firmly on the radar of most responding agencies and funders as an integral part of the response. It is no longer seen as an optional add-on and there is a lot of effort taking place, even if the results are not always perfect. Secondly, coordination structures for CCEA were already present when the crisis escalated so there wasn’t the usual scramble of who should be at the table.

Thirdly, there are many aid workers with the skills and knowledge to undertake this kind of work.

There is no doubt that greater awareness and momentum at a global level is leading to change on the ground. Local-level efforts – in particular preparedness – can also make a contribution.

In 2013 ��tv Media Action began work in Bangladesh (funded by the UK Department for International Development) to better prepare media and aid agencies to communicate with affected people in emergencies. Among the outcomes was the creation of a working group for Communication with Communities, chaired by the Bangladesh Government’s Department of Disaster Management. With a fresh grant through the global Communicating with Disaster-Affected Communities (CDAC) Network, this later evolved into Shongjog – a national platform focused on Communication with Communities.

All this preparatory work helped build relationships between agencies and key individuals, raised the profile of CCEA, established coordination mechanisms (including in Cox’s Bazar) and also upskilled local staff on CCEA, with many hundreds of professionals trained in humanitarian communication and accountability. The majority of them are now working on this response.

If humanitarian assistance is to be effective, all aspects of the response require preparedness: From where will shelter materials be sourced? How will aid reach the affected people? Who will deliver it? Where will food and medical supplies (and not to mention all those blankets) be stocked while they await distribution? Preparedness for communication is no exception – training, planning, awareness-raising and relationship building are a must before an emergency hits.

And when disaster strikes, all those efforts must translate into action.

As part of our work responding to the Rohingya crisis, ��tv Media Action leads a consortium with Internews and Translators without Borders to provide a Common Service for Community Engagement and Accountability. In practice, this means helping provide practical, local-language information to Rohingya people and host communities, giving them space to ask questions and raise concerns, as well as gathering and analysing feedback which we share with all aid actors via What Matters? - a regular bulletin offering an overview of Rohingya and host communities’ priority concerns as they evolve.

The hope is that agencies will continue to use findings from the latter to inform their work. A simple piece of feedback can have a significant effect on improving lives. For example, one of the bulletins described a concern that pregnant women are not getting enough nutritious food, such as vegetables. Now it’s over to the aid agencies to either provide that food if it’s indeed lacking, or give pregnant women information on what nutritious options are available and how to access them.

And that is perhaps the most critical point: action. People can become rapidly disillusioned if they try using the plethora of suggestion boxes and feedback hotlines, but nothing happens as a result. If we ask for people's trust, and if we want to help them to the best of our ability, we must not only listen to communities but also act on what we hear.

Jacqueline Dalton is a Senior Producer and Trainer for ��tv Media Action, specialising in humanitarian communication and community engagement.

Motivating ordinary Bangladeshis to respond to extreme weather

2017-07-27T09:59:59+00:00

This post was originally published on the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) blog.

Droughts. Cyclones. Floods.

There are few places where such extraordinary events are as commonplace as they are in Bangladesh, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Extreme weather poses a real threat to millions of Bangladeshis – with low-lying geography, high population density and under-developed infrastructure making things worse, especially for the poorest.

Fortunately, Bangladeshis are highly aware that nature can turn on people and are being spurred into action. In response to environmental change, people are growing alternative crops, migrating and changing jobs. In fact, Bangladesh is sometimes described as the adaptation capital of the world – thanks in part to the many government, civil society and international interventions aimed at helping people cope with a volatile climate.

So that’s all fine, then. No problem. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Maybe not.

Despite high levels of awareness and pockets of proactiveness, ��tv Media Action’s research found that many people still weren’t doing anything in response to environmental changes. Inaction stemmed from the fact that people didn’t know what to do, didn’t think they had enough money to do anything or felt they needed help from the government to do something. This state of affairs is unlikely to stay sustainable if the environmental situation becomes increasingly unforgiving.

Turning awareness into action

So, we set out to support those most affected by extreme weather to respond to these challenges themselves. Our reality TV show, Amrai Pari (Together we can do it), aimed to give people the information they needed to take action. It built on Bangladeshis’ strong community and family ties by sparking discussion to raise awareness of challenges, building networks to share information and showcasing good practice to inspire people to act.

We knew that most Bangladeshis watch TV regularly, so that was our primary channel for reaching them. We also worked with the well-developed volunteer networks of the Red Crescent Society and our NGO partners to engage people face-to-face. And – with Dhaka now the world’s second most active city on Facebook – we used social media to provide fun and lively content, specifically designed for young urbanites.

Aiming to go beyond the abstract, scientific and political angles that sometimes dominate media coverage of changes in climate, our focus was on helping people find affordable, achievable solutions to everyday challenges around extreme weather. But producing that content wasn’t easy.

How exactly do you help ordinary people cope with extreme weather?

Rising to this challenge meant moving away from the abstract concepts of ‘climate change’ and ‘global warming’ and talking more specifically about how changes in fluctuating temperatures and rainfall were affecting people’s ability to earn money, keep healthy or produce crops.

It meant fully understanding people’s attitudes, beliefs and needs to get to the heart of what was stopping them from taking action and what could help them overcome their inertia.

It meant making a show that would motivate people to change their behaviour through an engaging, entertaining and culturally relevant format.

It also meant working with Bangladesh’s many experts in this area, like Dr. Saleemul Huq, Director of the country’s International Centre for Climate Change and Development, as well as practitioners on the ground to ensure that our work drew on proven, replicable solutions and reinforced – rather than contradicted – the prevailing advice on how to adapt to changes in climate.

And, crucially, it meant constantly listening to what ordinary people had to say. We heard about the grassroots innovations they were already trying and gathered feedback on episodes of Amrai Pari, continually adapting and reworking the show as we learned more.

What did success look like?

Frankly, we were astonished by how well Amrai Pari did. We reached 7.5 million people in its last year alone, nearly half of whom said they – after watching the programme – had done something new like storing food, learning a new skill or diversifying the crops they grew. Regular viewers were especially likely to get inspired.

The extent of people’s self-belief – that they themselves could tackle environmental challenges – was one of the two most important factors in whether they’d actually respond, along with how at risk they felt.

But what exactly was it was about Amrai Pari that moved people to action? First, it increased people’s awareness of the specific risks they personally faced. Second, we helped make people feel less dependent on the government to solve their problems.

And it’s not over yet. Across the country, our partners are still projecting Amrai Pari onto screens in villages and sharing episodes on mobiles in slums, in order to lead practical, engaging discussions with the communities most affected by changing weather patterns. Currently at over 160,000 likes, the project’s Facebook presence continues to grow as more and more Bangladeshis get connected, particularly in smaller cities and semi-urban areas.

Nobody better understands the challenges caused by extreme weather than those experiencing it firsthand. Learning from the most affected and helping them respond is more important than it has ever been. Our experience shows that well-designed media and communication programmes, produced and shared in partnership with NGOs, local broadcasters and others can be a key part of the solution.

Shihan Zuberi is the Executive Editor of ��tv Media Action’s Bangladesh office.

Blog: We need more media coverage of disaster prevention

Blog: Inside a randomised control trial: insights from Bangladesh

Let’s talk about sex: using radio to educate teenagers in Bangladesh

2017-06-30T10:00:00+00:00

Our world is home to 1.8 billion young people. The majority of these 10 to 24-year-olds live in Asia, with 48 million alone growing up in Bangladesh.

And many of these young people are having sex. Bangladesh has one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in all of South Asia, coming in at 83 births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19. This is compared to a figure of 71 for Afghanistan and Nepal, which share the next highest adolescent birth rate in the region. In the US, this number stands at 21, in the UK, 14.

In Bangladesh, this high birth rate is driven by girls getting married before they’ve left adolescence. Nearly three quarters of married Bangladeshi women become wives before turning 18 – compared to fewer than 3% of men. Media Action carried out research with adolescents, parents and teachers to better understand why.

Outside of everyone’s comfort zone

We found that children and adults alike struggle to talk about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in Bangladesh, as is the case in many conservative countries.

Teenagers are embarrassed to seek out advice from their elders, due to social stigma and shyness. We also learned that parents don’t start these conversations either – aside from the heart-to-hearts mothers have with their daughters about periods.

SRH is a taboo topic, which parents feel is inappropriate to bring up with adolescents before they get married. Our research revealed that adults believe that telling teenagers about contraceptives promotes promiscuity.

As for teachers, they are often evasive and are known to sometimes skip the chapters on sexual and reproductive health in textbooks. Those we interviewed said they faced social barriers in discussing sex with students of the opposite gender to themselves. They also didn’t feel properly supported by their colleagues and management to have these kinds of conversations.

Educators are also discouraged by students’ reluctance to discuss sex with them in the classroom. Some NGOs run SRH programmes in schools but teenagers we spoke with said that these paint an incomplete picture of what they need to know.

Recognising these issues, the government of Bangladesh has begun to step up its efforts to improve knowledge of SRH for all young Bangladeshis by providing universal access to information and services. Girls are being taught how to make choices about marriage, sex and childbirth. But this isn’t enough.

Getting the lowdown

Adolescents are unsurprisingly hungry to know more about the experiences they all have, but which are never spoken about.

This is where the radio show Dosh Unisher Mor (Crossroads at 10 to 19) comes in. Combining drama, songs and interviews with both experts and ordinary teenagers, Dosh Unisher Mor aimed to give young people the comprehensive lowdown on SRH they crave.

The show helped teenagers come to terms with the physical and psychological changes that go with puberty, by presenting these as natural and nothing to be ashamed of. Adolescent listeners said they learned new things from the show, particularly about the physical changes they were experiencing. For example, the programme corrected the mistaken belief, held by many of the boys we spoke to, that wet dreams are a disease.

The show also helps adolescents realise just how traumatic early marriage can be for girls. Listeners came to understand that getting pregnant at a young age puts mothers – and their babies – at risk of health complications and even death.

Some explicitly said that Dosh Unisher Mor led them to see early marriage as a damaging social convention they had the responsibility to protest against. One girl was even driven to stop a child marriage from happening – telling her parents about it, who in turn informed the police.

Filling the information gap through entertainment

Teenagers appreciated that Dosh Unisher Mor was not only educational, but also entertaining. They saw it as a show with the power to change attitudes and influence people by facilitating open and natural discussions, informed by detailed and comprehensive explanations.

As for parents, many said the show encouraged them and their children to speak more openly about these issues. Though we did interview some who explicitly said they were happier for their children to listen to Dosh Unisher Mor than have to have an embarrassing conversation!

Clearly there’s still a real information deficit to fill around SRH and early marriage in Bangladesh. Yet our adolescent listeners told us that Dosh Unisher Mor was the only radio show out there exclusively focused on SRH. This shouldn’t be the case. Shows like Dosh Unisher Mor have so much to offer young people and there should be more programmes out there like it.

Gourob Kundu is a development professional with a background in qualitative research, specifically in the areas of public health and communication.

Blog: How can communication help stop teenagers dying?

Blog: Health communication changes lives by reaching millions

Health partnerships in the Global South: more than a marriage of convenience

2017-05-24T12:20:44+00:00

We use the word ‘partnership’ a lot in the development world. At a global level, we’re all ‘partners’ – a giant family of policymakers, donors, practitioners, academics and companies working together to advance a shared vision of a world free from poverty, hunger and violent conflict.

We come together for mutual benefit, bringing our different skills, experiences and resources to the table, to solve deeply rooted problems. But because we’re human, partnerships – as with any relationship – can be fraught with friction and misunderstanding.

At Media Action, we build partnerships so media and communication can make as positive a difference to people’s lives as possible. Our natural partners are, of course, other media organisations, often the local and national broadcasters in the countries where we work. We share a common interest in using media to provide a public service to enrich and enhance the lives of citizens.

But we have other, less obvious companions in our journey to make life better for people in the Global South. We also collaborate with governments and NGOs that don’t specialise in communication in order to improve the health and wellbeing of pregnant women and their children in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and India. Like us, they share the belief that, when rooted in evidence, media and communication have a key role to play in maternal and child health.

What’s everyone bringing to the table?

And what can a media organisation like us bring to these unions? Editorial acumen, technical know-how and tangible products. We provide high-quality media content that educates and entertains. Our programmes are custom-built to encourage social and behaviour change, creating demand for the maternal and child health services provided by our partners.

Of course, simply handing over a stack of DVDs does not a partnership make. So we also work with our partners to facilitate community discussions, which use our content to spark conversations about the kinds of issues addressed on TV and the radio. With some partners, this work goes further, with community health workers trained in how to communicate for change, skills they could then go on to use day in and day out.

Bringing their loyal audiences and in-depth knowledge of local people, our media partners are invaluable to us. They help us spread the benefits of media and communication further, to reach people left out 'in the dark', who often struggle to access media.

We in turn can offer programmes that draw audiences in, like dramas, to help pique the interest of those who aren’t normally interested in health matters but make decisions within families. There aren’t many people who reject entertainment after all. Dramas can sway ‘influencers’, who were previously somewhat ambivalent about maternal and child health, into pushing for their loved ones to take advantage of the services our partners offer.

What makes for a long and prosperous partnership?

Over the course of all this collaboration, we’ve learnt a few things about how to be a better partner and how to get the most out of working together. In many ways, it’s like a marriage or long-term relationship: if one side expects their meals to be cooked and the laundry to be done, but the other has no intention of doing that, there’s bound to be trouble! So it’s important to be upfront about each party’s expectations about the relationship from the start.

This last piece of guidance has been particularly helpful to us, as we’ve found that partners have high expectations of us because of the ��tv brand. Clarity from the outset and a joint plan can help smooth out problems that may arise if those expectations are unrealistic.

We’ve also discovered that involving partners in content creation elevates projects into genuinely joint ventures that everyone has a stake in. Similarly, it’s worth providing ongoing support to partners so they can adapt to different scenarios and to ease the burden of carrying out outreach, which can be time-consuming and complex.

Ultimately, and at the risk of sounding obvious, it’s all about communication: listening and talking to each other…solving problems together…working for a common goal. That’s how sustainable change happens.

If you’d like to find out more about how ��tv Media Action used media and communication to improve maternal, newborn and child health, go to our digital platform, Global Health Stories.

Sophia Wilkinson is ��tv Media Action’s Acting Head of Health and Resilience; she was previously the organisation’s Senior Health Adviser. Sophia’s most recent publication is A bigger splash - partnering for impact, which reflects on ��tv Media Action’s maternal and child health partnerships with governmental and NGOs in Bangladesh, India and Ethiopia. Sophia tweets as @SLPWilkinson.

Blog: Health communication changes lives by reaching millions

Film: Partnering for impact in Bangladesh and Ethiopia

Using social ties to make pregnancy safer: insights from Bangladesh and Ethiopia

2017-04-27T09:12:04+00:00

Following the launch of our Global Health Stories site, Emebet Wuhib-Mutungi explains how influencing mothers-in-law and husbands can help improve the health of mothers and their babies.

Over 800 women die every day because of complications caused by pregnancy or giving birth. Almost all of these women live in the Global South. And most could be saved through simple precautions, like going for regular antenatal check-ups.

But as we discovered through our work in Bangladesh and Ethiopia (watch the video below for more background), expectant mothers often don’t go for check-ups early enough. Our research into people’s beliefs suggests this is because Bangladeshis view pregnancy as a ‘natural process that doesn’t need special attention’, while in Ethiopia, going for a check-up is seen as inviting ‘bad luck’. We've seen similar views in India and South Sudan.

This external content is available at its source: https://youtu.be/cTE2GXW9OFQ

In Bangladesh and Ethiopia, mothers-to-be and their families don’t follow a number of other medical recommendations either. For example, ‘preparing for childbirth’ in Ethiopia generally doesn’t involve deciding on where to give birth, how to travel there and getting that all-important hospital ‘grab bag’ ready. Instead, the primary focus is on organising a big social event for family and friends to give thanks for the new life. Not doing so is frowned upon.

So… why is this?

Mother-in-law knows best?

Both Bangladeshis and Ethiopians believe that everything baby-related is the responsibility of women, with mothers-in-law – particularly in Bangladesh – serving as the ultimate arbiters of pregnancy.

Mothers-in-law are in turn likely to give their daughters-in-law advice based on their own experiences and what has always been done in their communities: give birth at home.

Expectant mothers are unlikely to defy both society and their mother-in-law to follow medical recommendations. This is because humans are social beings. When we choose whether or not to do something, we’re heavily influenced by social norms – what the people we love, respect and are surrounded by would normally do or strongly expect us to do.

Influencing the influencers

To encourage more women to seek medical help in pregnancy, it became clear that it was important to influence mother-in-laws.

Husbands – usually the household decision-makers – tend to not get involved in plans for childbirth. We saw this as an opportunity to engage men, who could then encourage their pregnant partners to adopt safer habits.

To reach and convince these family members to do things differently, we created TV and radio shows featuring husbands and mothers-in-law supporting the kind of practices we wanted to catch on. But modelling new behaviours isn’t enough to get them adopted. So to help audiences make informed choices, the shows also provided a space for discussion and explained why, for example, antenatal appointments were worth attending.

Inspiring change through fictional characters and real-life experiences

Of course, leveraging influencers, like mothers-in-law or men, to improve women and children’s health isn’t a new approach. What is less well-known is what works when trying to do so.

Speaking to audience members and project staff five years on, it was clear that husbands and mothers-in-law who tuned in to our shows saw themselves and their lives reflected in their fictional or ‘real life’ counterparts. This, they said, was critical.

As one husband told me, this was the first time he heard other men like him talk about accompanying their wives to the health clinic for her check-ups or saving money for a birth. While such anecdotes give us an idea of what inspired people to do things differently, they don’t give us – and the global health sector – the much-needed hard evidence of ‘what works’.

What we can say with confidence is that, after watching or listening to our programmes, husbands and mothers-in-law in both Bangladesh and Ethiopia are more likely to know the recommended guidance and to believe that it’s commonly followed in their community.

With improved knowledge and new perceptions of local social norms, influencers can offer better advice and support, helping secure a safer future for mothers and their babies. It’s just difficult to say exactly what it was about the programmes that set off this chain of events.

Future food for thought

Through influencing influencers, we’ve also begun to tackle gender stereotypes. For instance, we’ve shown that it’s OK for men and women to talk openly and freely together. In Ethiopia, our male and female radio presenters often share their own baby stories with each other in a light and friendly way.

We’ve also helped show that caring about babies is just as manly as keeping a job down and putting food on the table. Our TV drama in Bangladesh achieved this by weaving together storylines about male characters struggling with debt and ‘bad guys’, together with those about couples having a baby.

We’ve succeeded in getting men to watch and listen to our shows and get more involved in what’s considered a ‘woman’s issue'. We’ve done so without overtly challenging the status quo in which ‘men are the decision-makers.

Our next challenge is figuring out how we can help transform traditional gender roles, which could arguably have even longer-lasting impacts that also go beyond health.

If you want to find out more about how ��tv Media Action used media and communication at scale to improve maternal, newborn and child health, go to our digital platform, Global Health Stories.

Emebet Wuhib-Mutungi is a Health Adviser with ��tv Media Action. She tweets as @ewuhib.

Blog: Health communication changes lives by reaching millions

Health communication changes lives by reaching millions

2017-04-10T05:00:00+00:00

To mark the launch of our Global Health Stories site, Sophia Wilkinson explains how health communication can make a big difference at scale – for less than the cost of a can of coke per person.

“But what about the impact?”

This is the question I'm asked the most after I’ve told an audience that, quite literally, millions of people listen to our radio shows and watch our TV programmes about health. The other question I routinely get is:

“I don’t care how big your audience is! What I want to know is whether anything has changed?”

What people often don’t realise is that the more people you reach, the bigger the difference you can make. You don’t have to choose between the two.

Skilfully designed and well-executed media and communication projects can not only change behaviour and norms, they can do so at scale. Offering both quality and quantity, such interventions should be immensely attractive to those working to solve the world’s costliest and most widespread health challenges.

I’m going to brag. In Ethiopia alone, some 21 million people listened to our radio shows about different aspects of pregnancy, birth and newborn health over the course of just one year – and 14 million did so regularly. This means in the three states where we surveyed – Amhara, Oromia and SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region) – almost half of all adults listened to our shows.

But aside from professional pride, why does this box office success matter when you’re not looking to drive up profits from ticket sales?

It matters because of the scale of the challenges we’re trying to solve.

In Ethiopia, out of every 1,000 babies born, 29 will die before they’re even a month old and 48 won’t make it to their first birthday. And every year, 13,000 Ethiopian women die due to pregnancy-related complications.

Of course, we all know that the death of many of these mothers and newborns could be avoided. But it’s not just about providing good quality, accessible health services. It also requires lots of people to do things differently in their day-to-day lives. Millions. Not just hundreds.

The Ethiopian women who listened to our shows did just that. They were more likely to have: one, received antenatal care, two, made arrangements for having their baby in a health facility and, three, given birth in a facility or with a skilled attendant looking after them.

And this wasn’t due to wealth, or education, or proximity to services - our research controlled for these factors - and while it doesn’t provide causal data, this analysis helps us to be more confident in these results.

There are other reasons why reaching lots of people matters. As the World Development Report: Mind, Society, and Behavior highlighted back in 2015, human beings are very social animals. We don’t like being alone. We live and work in communities, big and small. We have friends. We spend time with our families.

Of course, one consequence of spending time together is that how we behave is deeply influenced by what those around us are doing, or what we think they’re doing and expect us to do. It follows that if more and more people start doing something, we can expect a snowball effect. Reaching more people will create a bigger splash.

Finally, reach matters when it comes to delivering value for money. Another accusation frequently bandied about is that media projects are expensive, especially if high-quality television dramas are part of the mix. Well, yes, if only a few hundred people watch that drama then it wouldn’t be very cost-effective to produce.

But it cost us just 23 pence per person to reach 93 million people in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and South Sudan with potentially life-saving information, using all manner of communication tools, from TV dramas to community discussions. Critics might dismiss our programmes as ‘all talk and no action’, but people are taking their newfound knowledge and doing things differently because of it.

Just take a look at what our research in Bangladesh is telling us:

Those who listen and watch our programmes have access to health information to help them make healthier choices…and for less than the cost of a can of coke. Sounds like a pretty good investment to me.

If you want to find out more about how ��tv Media Action used media and communication at scale to improve maternal, newborn and child health, go to our digital platform, Global Health Stories.

Sophia Wilkinson is ��tv Media Action’s Acting Head of Health and Resilience; she was previously the organisation’s Senior Health Adviser. Sophia’s most recent publication is A bigger splash - partnering for impact, which reflects on ��tv Media Action’s maternal and child health partnerships with governmental and NGOs in Bangladesh, India and Ethiopia.

Five questions our data portal can help answer

2017-04-04T06:00:00+00:00

There's a lack of data on what ordinary people think, feel and want in developing countries. Our new Data Portal aims to help fix that. Sonia Whitehead runs through five questions the portal can help answer on governance, media and resilience.

The development world is all aflutter about data. There’s much talk of a data revolution, the sector’s hiring data scientists and the World Bank just launched a new podcast to ‘data crunch the world’.

Not to dampen all this excitement but we need a lot more data about people in the Global South before it can become a transformative force there. Addressing this lack of data will speed up progress on everything from gender to alleviating poverty.

Enter our new Data Portal (view on desktop), which brings together data, reports and visualisations from surveys conducted in 13 developing countries that there aren't a lot of statistics about. Over five years, we asked more than 75,000 (rarely polled) people about what they think, feel and want. The portal covers a range of issues from what they’re most worried about to how interested they are in politics.

We want these insights to help development leaders, practitioners and researchers better understand ordinary people in the developing world so they can produce more effective strategies, projects and communications.

To mark the launch of the portal, we run through five questions that it can help answer on governance, media and resilience, while also showcasing the different types of content available on the portal.

1. What sources of information do people trust?

Being a media organisation, we wanted to know whether people believe what they hear on the airwaves, see on TV and read online. We found that trust levels in radio are universally high, at over 80% in Kenya, Nigeria and Myanmar, and reaching 90% in Nepal.

However, people are more circumspect about the truthfulness of the internet, with the Burmese especially sceptical, which is concerning given that half of Myanmar's internet users say they go online in order to read the news.

To illustrate these (and other) insights into what media people think of different sources of information, we produced a series of visualisations – some of the ones for Kenya are previewed below (media visual available here, governance one here):

2. How free do people feel to speak their minds?

We asked people in three Asian countries (Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal), four African countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania) and the Palestinian territories whether they could 'say what they think'. A majority felt at least somewhat free to speak their minds in all but one of the countries: Myanmar.

But across the eight countries in our governance data set, we found that many people don’t feel they can criticise those in charge. Around a third of Kenyans, Sierra Leoneans, Bangladeshis and Palestinians ‘feel people like them are free to talk negatively about the government in public’; in Tanzania and Myanmar this drops to under one in four.

Nepal is the only place we looked at where a majority (65%) feel at least somewhat able to criticise those in charge. Nigerians are the next most comfortable with openly complaining about their leaders, a little over 40% say they could – though only half that number felt very liberated to do so.

3. Who are the keenest voters?

In six countries, we also asked whether people had voted in the last general election: Bangladesh, Myanmar, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Nigeria.

Sierra Leone came out top, with 90% reporting having voted in the last general election, closely followed by Myanmar at 87% and Tanzania at 86%. (A quick note – we conducted our Burmese survey in 2016, after the victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in 2015.)

Turnout was lowest in Bangladesh and the Palestinian territories, where 42% and 45% respectively said they’d cast a ballot in the last national election.

Of course, people don’t just get involved with public life through voting. Meetings, protests, and various forms of communication are all types of political participation. The Sierra Leone visualisation previewed below shows that while only a small proportion of people have been in touch with government officials, nearly two thirds have teamed up with others in their community to solve a problem.

4. How do people feel about those who are different to them?

Historically, Kenya has been the site of ethnicity-based politics and violence. Yet even against this background, well over 80% of Kenyans want to live with people from other ethnic groups and think it's important to know about different cultures and what life is like for those who are different to them (see below).

In a country with over 100 ethnic groups, 97% of people in Myanmar believe that peace relies on mutual respect between people from different ethnic, religious and social groups. Similarly in Nigeria – which has wrestled with religious divides – nine tenths of the population believe that people from different backgrounds have ‘more in common than they think’.

However, a large majority of both Nigerians and Burmese feel that some differences between groups are ‘just too difficult to overcome’.

5. How are people adapting to environmental change?

Building on our Climate Asia project – which examined 33,500 people’s everyday experiences of climate change – we’ve more recently asked Tanzanians and Bangladeshis about how they’re coping with changes to the world around them.

In the drought-ridden areas of Dodoma and Morogoro in Tanzania, more people think agricultural productivity has decreased than increased over the past ten years. They are split as to whether rainfall is higher or lower than it was a decade ago.

Getting their information predominantly from the radio, Tanzanians are making some – though not a lot – of changes in light of the environmental challenges they face. Popular responses include keeping food for longer and finding new water supplies.

In Bangladesh, rainfall, temperatures and extreme weather are all commonly seen to have increased in the past decade. TV is the country's go-to medium for getting information about water, food, energy and extreme weather, considerably more so than the radio, newspaper, friends and family.

Around a third of the population have changed how they live in response to environmental changes; swapping jobs is the most common way of shaking things up.

In addition to all of the data, the portal also hosts a number of other resources:

For extra guidance on navigating the portal, take a look at our ‘How-to’ section, as well as our ‘walkthrough’ and ‘running a query’ videos.

Those interested in how we collected the data should refer to the methodologies and questionnaires available on the right-hand sidebar of each of the thematic pages (media, governance, resilience).

The portal is also home to reports which summarise and analyse data available on the portal. For example, we've produced a report exploring how to better connect with the least politically engaged Kenyans. This is just a flavour of what’s to come, similar reports analysing our governance data in other countries will follow in the coming months.

On each thematic page, there are reports and tools to support practitioners to use media for development. For example, we’ve featured the communication toolkit from our Climate Asia project, which includes a guide on how to talk about climate change in an accessible and engaging way, as well as a set of cards (with instructions) for co-creating a communication strategy with partners and your target audience.

Sonia Whitehead is ��tv Media Action's Head of Research Programmes, overseeing research across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.