Echoes of Change Radio Drama

CARE began introducing digital skills and products to VSLA groups in 2021, starting with skills training and access to smartphone-enabled tools. However, CARE noticed that the high enthusiasm for learning new digital skills amongst VSLA members was curbed by persistent attitudes and beliefs limiting women's use of mobile technology. A CARE study in the northern Ugandan cities of Arua, Terego, and Gulu identified several of these beliefs - notably, men's suspicions that women's use of social media, like Facebook, would lead to infidelity or interactions with strange men. Other concerns included women getting addicted to or becoming distracted by smartphones, which could cause them to neglect their care roles, as well as specific concerns around women burning dinner because they were on their phones. The study revealed that over 60% of respondents reported hearing of gender-based violence against women due to phone usage. For more information on the study, see "Digitalization & Gender Norms: Learnings from CARE's Digital Pilot for VSLA Members in Rwanda and Uganda" [PDF].

The initiative uses a three-pronged approach, with the radio drama at the centre, to challenge these existing social and gender norms. The approach is designed to offer an alternative narrative to the existing, restrictive one that sees technology as a threat to household power dynamics, changing it to one that encourages couples and households to co-create their own rules and norms around the possibilities of technology. The three-pronged approach following the first broadcast of the series involved:

The Echoes of Change radio drama
The primary vehicle of the campaign was a 12-part radio drama that tells the story of a village girl who is introduced to a smartphone through her VSLA. In 3- to 5-minute episodes aired weekly over a 12-week period, the story follows her as she navigates learning a new technology while pushing her community to rethink their beliefs about what is appropriate for women. The messaging leveraged lessons learned and personas developed during the research in these communities. Characters include community members who celebrate the new technology (digital champions) and those who are sceptical or outright against technology in women's hands (gatekeepers). The drama was translated into local languages and recorded by local disc jockeys (DJs).

Community-based events and music
To ensure broad engagement with the radio drama message, CARE's Ugandan-based media partner (NavCorp) and other local partners hosted community-based events. In all three locations where the project is taking place, CARE utilised pre-existing market day and health day events that ensured community members were already present. A coalition of community leaders, local government officials, police representatives, and other stakeholders were also engaged to support the events and the messages. Market day events in all three locations culminated in a concert headlined by popular Ugandan artist Navio and featuring other local artists. The theme song for the campaign was written by Navio, with the lyrics saying, "When I shine, my wife shines, when she shines, my life shines". In addition, local radio station DJs hosted half-day events, championing the message of gender equity in access to technology. According to CARE Uganda, community turnout was strong, particularly among young men, who were drawn to the free concert headlined by a notable Ugandan star.

VSLA engagement
To ensure the message reached VSLA members who were not tuning in via radio and women who did not have access to radio, CARE partners and community-based trainers (CBTs) played the episodes during VSLA meetings and led discussions around the topic. According to CARE, the episodes were so popular that CARE brought speakers into villages to replay them. In addition, group members formed WhatsApp groups for discussion, and listeners called the radio station to give feedback.

Gender, Economic Empowerment, Digital Technology

The following are some insights CARE has gathered from the campaign so far: 
 

• Community engagement with the social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) has been high due to the fact that the project: engaged with existing crowds at the market day and health day events, fielded questions and feedback from listeners to the radio drama who are calling into the station, and opened up lines of direct feedback from VSLA members to CBTs and CARE partners.
• Women are expressing changing attitudes around their own use of technology. Previously, some women were told that smartphones were only for men, and they weren't aware they could use them to stay in contact with family members and for business purposes. Even if they observed other women using smartphones in the community, they assumed technology was more important for men. However, after being introduced to other women who use WhatsApp to sell their crafts, these women plan on working hard to save for a phone. Another woman, who had bought a phone but never used it, brought it to a group meeting to learn how to turn it on. CBTs and more tech-savvy VSLA members have been acting as digital champions, working one-on-one to teach digital skills. 
• Men's attitudes show signs of shifting as well. CARE partners report that men are sharing that they see the practical uses of phones for women, such as learning through YouTube or using WhatsApp for their businesses. In fact, women are using the radio drama to start conversations with their husbands about smartphone use.
• Young men, who are not typically reached at the VSLA level but are a key demographic for the SBCC, are hearing the message at concerts. This fact is especially important because research has shown that newlywed women are the least likely to have access to technology.
• Local partners are invigorated by the campaign and are considering ways to continue or build on the SBCC, either with additional storytelling campaigns or new ways of teaching groups about smartphones. Moreover, communities outside the currently served areas are calling in to the radio station, prompting plans on how to engage these new audiences.