Kahi Ankahi Baatein: Aisa Kyun, Aisa Kyun Nahi
In 2020, CREA partnered with the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre of Jamia Millia Islamia University to integrate a gendered lens to the campus community radio program, “Radio Jamia” and create content with a feminist perspective for the radio programs. This was the first time that Radio Jamia collaborated with a civil society organization.
While Radio Jamia broadcasted shows on various current events, health and nutrition, and music curated by students, the collaboration produced informative content that informed communities, within the university and the outlying areas of Jamia Nagar, on gender, gender-based violence, patriarchy and other feminist concepts. CREA produced 15-minute episodes on gender and women’s empowerment that air weekly every Tuesday at 3 pm IST on Radio Jamia’s community radio in Hindi.
The pilot episode aired on Women’s Day 2021 with Sr Advocate Rebecca John who fought and won the criminal defamation case instituted against senior journalist Priya Ramani, who spoke out against sexual harassment at the workplace. The program was hosted by Shohini Ghosh, the then-acting director of AJK Mass Communication Research Centre of Jamia Millia Islamia University. In this episode, Rebecca John discussed the legal challenges, defamatory tools used in this particular case, and what this judgment could hold for women in India.
Since then, CREA and Radio Jamia have continued to produce and air over 36+ episodes on feminism, women with disabilities’ participation in political spaces, accessibility in campus spaces, gender-based violence, body shaming and bodily autonomy, gender and language, and gender and sports, among others. CREA works with a myriad of experts and activists in the field of gender who often attend these programs as hosts and speakers.
These radio programs occur against a backdrop of brainstorming sessions and planning between CREA and University faculty that furthers creativity in curating content for the show. A Spanish Professor at the Jamia Millia Islamia University shared how learning a foreign language can and has opened gateways for women students to break language barriers that limit their ambitions to their home countries. CREA followed up on this statement by interviewing the Professor and a foreign language student as parts of a gender and language series. Since our collaboration, CREA has had the opportunity to interact with the Jamia Millia Islamia University students directly, opening avenues for collaboration with the students who have contributed to episodes as speakers and/or panelists.
To catch a broadcast tune into Radio Jamia at 90.4 FM every Tuesday at 3 pm IST.
You can download the Radio Jamia app here (currently only available for Android devices).