Radio Programme on Women and the Law

This was a 26-part radio series in Hindi in May 1997 to promote legal literacy among women. The programmes featured issues relating to women such as adoption, domestic and sexual violence, inheritance and property rights, dowry, divorce and maintenance, life insurance, consumer rights, sex workers' rights, public interest litigation and contract law.

Research for scripting involved consultations with various institutions that were potential advocates for women's rights such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), collectives, government bodies, industries and unions. WFS also initiated audience research by asking listeners to write in to the programme - before, during and after - about their experiences of rights that have been violated, or situations of conflict they have resolved, or any action (positive or negative) that could feature in the programme.

Each of the episodes featured some or all of the following elements:

1. Voices of people in actual situations, particularly those who have been successful in pursuing legal redress.
2. Legal advocates speaking in colloquial terms explaining the law as it pertains to women.
3. Question-and-answer sessions with listeners who phone or write in to the programme.
4. Field visits to workplace sites where people have successfully exercised their rights.
5. Dramatisations of real situations to simplify potentially complicated legal issues.
6. Detailed information about how to proceed with specific legal problems.
7. Music, sound and narration to ensure a top quality programme that entertains as well as informs.

Democracy and Governance, Women, Rights.

Ignorance about the law and legal rights is seen a major constraining factor to the empowerment of women.

The programme faced some degree of control and censorship of the contents in the initial stage. There were objections to the use of sexually explicit terms in an episode on sexual violence on grounds that these would upset audiences. Ultimately, AIR staff agreed to the usage of some of these terms but in English, as they felt the terms sounded more shocking in Hindi. Despite the constraints, and despite the absence of a formal evaluation, the programme was fairly successful.

Radio was chosen medium because it was cost-effective, had the widest urban and rural reach, and was seen as especially appropriate for targeting economically poor, illiterate and marginalised women.