Nepal Radio Breaks Taboos to Fight HIV/AIDS

Community Radio for rural voice “Environment Cycle Radio F.M. 104.2 MHz” is an independent non-commercial community radio. The main objective of this radio E.C.R F.M. is to broadcast programs on environment, health and education. E.C.R. is the member of the world associates of community radio broadcasters AMARC. The station has started its testing transmission of February 4, 2004 and the successive regular program transmission on April 13, 2004 onwards. Further more, the FM has been transmitting social and developmental news on hour basis through the medium of national language Nepali along with the other two ethnic languages- Tamang and Newari languages. The E.C.R. FM. 104.2 MHz received the membership of the AMARC ­WIN on March 8, 2005. And it has resulted into the establishment of this Women division, the
same year. This woman division’s major objectives are creating and promoting awareness of women for the environment conservation, education, health promotion, gender equality, economic development from people to people, sharing such experiences and selling it door to door in hills, mountains and remote areas focusing the women of such places and to raise their condition with qualification using all community media and conducting various programs live scholarship programs and adult education. For the fulfillment of its objectives, it has been conducting several development and educational programs like running adult education for women, scholarship programs, providing the educational materials to poor and deserted girls, holding meetings and seminars on various subjects for the establishment of independent human society through woman’s participation in the broad scale. It has been conducting programs on various subjects dealing with women empowerment through rising their economical conditions and gender equity. This division is also launching programs related to women and children, 3 hours and 1 hour per day respectively. The total time utilized by Women division is 4 hours on daily basis through E.C.R. FM. 104.2 MHz for the women to literate and to expose their field of journalism too. Altogether, ECR F.M. broadcast from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM i.e. 18 hours daily.

Major Objectives ::

To create the awareness to the women from the rural area of the country.
To aware Nepalese people about the degradation of environment and woman activities through women’s participation from each and every corner of the country.
To create awareness for the preservation of the natural resources and heritage by trans-mitting informative programs.
To flow the information on global women activities through print and electronic media.
To eradicate women exploitation by suggesting to the concerned organization and cooperating with various organizations.
To encourage and enhance women’s participation in the tourism industry
To improve the economic status of the poor and marginalized women by conducting productive programs creating employment opportunities as far as possible.
To run mass programs as required to run adult education, health and environment educa-tion, to award scholarships to the poor female students.
To conduct the rally and the informative road dramas for awareness generation about health and education in the people.
To disseminate the information to each and every part of the country by publishing infor-mative bulletin.
Major Agenda ::

To emphasize adult woman education & providing scholarships to women
To conduct various programs like spot journalist visiting program, meetings and seminars for the equal participation of the both genders.
To provide income generating trainings like sewing, weaving, computer training, animal husbandry, poultry farming, fruit farming, beauty parlour, handicrafts etc.
To launch the door-to-door sanitation based programs like distributing buckets to collect the waste and to produce organic manures.
To conduct mass programs like forestation, greenery maintenance and preservation of natural resources for the environmental conservation through awareness generation.
To conduct the mission against girl’s trafficking and to flow the proper information about HIV/AIDS and other diseases through electronic communication media.
Structure of the division ::

Women member of Youth Awareness Environmental Forum (YAEF) and the friend women mem-ber of Environment Cycle Radio FM. 104.2 MHz could be the member of this women division. Presently the number of working committee is eleven. The number can be increased up to twenty-one as per needed. This is also informed that this division is the member of Woman International Network of the Association of World Community Radio (AMARC-WIN). To be the member of this division, one must be the member of YAEF. The central office of this division is situated at Canada and 4 thousand women communicators are the members from 110 countries. Advisor committee as well as district level branch committees can be formed as needed.

Working Committee Members ::

1. Mrs Hishila Maharjan Chairman
2. Mrs Manju Shrestha Voice Chairman
3. Ms Ratna Maya Awal Secretary
4. Mrs Ranjana Shrestha Under Secretary
5. Mrs Bal Kumari Ghale Treasurer
6. Ms Samjhana Pradhan Member
7. Mrs Poonam Malakar Member
8. Mrs.Niti Tiwari Member
9. Ms Sumita Rajbahaka Member
10.Mrs Laxmi Khanal Member
11.Mrs Sangita Parajuli Member
12. Ms Sandhya K.C Member
13. Mrs Meena Sharma Member
14.Ms Hira Maya Awal Member
15.Ms Anita Maharjan Member

The working committee members of YAEF, Advisor member, advisor from ECR FM., institutional members and the institutional friend members will be the Post holding members

Chairman Mrs Hishila Maharjan
Environment Cycle Radio F.M.104.2Mhzr
Lalitpur, Godawari Area , Badegaon

ph No.977-1- 5560782 Fax. 977-1-5560782
P.O.Box No 19355

E-mail :ecrfm_hishila_womendivision@hotmail.com
Website:www.yaefnepal.org
Kathmandu Nepal