Rural Outreach Programme

The women journalists visit a district four times in a year to conduct participatory workshops on a range of issues, family life, reproductive rights, constitutional rights, political and economic rights among others. During the workshop, observations and questions are made for the rest of the audience to consider. The issues raised most often are adapted into plays, which are staged within the communities for a fee to contribute to the sustainability of the project.

On every visit the women journalists carry with them recorded programmes for the people in the rural areas. They in turn record the participants' experiences, which are aired on Radio Uganda or published in the local newspapers.

UMWA is operating in ten districts: Mbarara, Kasese, Luweero, Mbale, Soroti, Moroto, Apac, Arua and Masindi. In each district UMWA operates with three women contact groups who mobilise the rest of the community for workshops or radio listening. Each group receives radio sets. Each group again constitutes itself into a radio listening club. Every visit ranges from 4 - 5 days in the field.

Health, rights.

ROP Objectives

• To provide a forum for exchange of ideas and technical skills and resources for media women, and the public at large.
• To promote good governance in this country through the free flow of information.
• To address the concerns of women in all fields through the efforts of women in media.
• To establish a sense of awareness among members and the Ugandan women in general, of their development in society.
• To counter the negative portrayal of women in the media.
• To enable the silent majority to speak out and participate in affairs that affects them.
• To make women aware of their rights.
• To promote the development efforts of rural women, not only through the conventional media but also by such as visual, folk artistic media.
• To integrate the activities of women NGOs.
• To achieve solidarity with other women's organisations within and outside Uganda to foster development and raise the status of women in Uganda.
• To promote professional excellence among media women through training, both locally and abroad.
• To fight for the rights of other vulnerable groups such as the children and persons with disabilities.