Women’s radios in Africa: towards a new configuration of the public sphere. The example of Radio Munyu in Banfore (Burkina-Faso)

Abstract

Local radios, whether owned by association or local community, play an important role in the democratization of communication by giving “voice” to "everybody". They also contribute to modernize socio-cultural structures through the introduction of innovations in all fields. At last, they foster transmission of culture (literacy, information) and local development through communication for social change. Their use of local languages, their deep knowledge of social and cultural environment, especially in rural areas, make easier their shared ownership by the people. Local radios, compared to urban and public media, appear as an alternative means of communication that it may be interesting to analyze. But when this process is led by women, it gets to a higher level of interest because such care of social communication by women in Africa indicates a try by women to "seize power" on men. What happens when women are taking charge of local communication and direct "palavers"? Which social development model is proposed by women? Which social and cultural trends can we expect? When women run media, how this media talks about information, awareness and mobilization of women for their self-promotion? We choose to examine the case of women radios in Burkina Faso. It will lead us to deal with both functions of democratization of communication, empowerment of women and social development induced by women's local action on radio.