The Role of Radio in Fostering Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Bogije Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos

Abstract

This research sheds light on radio’s role in advancing women economic empowerment in Bogije – a rural semi-urban settlement in the outskirt of Lagos Island. Deploying qualitative approaches to research often known as interviews, the research concludes that although observable efforts have been invested in spotlighting most issues around female empowerment – precisely economic empowerment through media formats such as drama, sensitization and orientation on government aids and skills acquisition programmes, talk shows, interviews with government personnels, coverage of NGO activities on this issue, primarily, much is yet to be done about radio’s reach and other deep rooted issues which limits radio’s ability to properly deliver on its key responsibilities. The paper arrives at a position which presents a need to deal with the root causes limiting radio’s ability to function properly on this subject of focus. It further sheds light on the need for women’s economic empowerment to be taken more seriously as is done on health empowerment. It stretches across a need to monitor how women are discussed on air as they are sometimes presented as needy, helpless and desperate humans in need of rescue and empowerment which further dampens feminist goals and aims of proper female representation and empowerment. Ultimately, the paper acknowledges radio’s efforts at playing a vital role in female’s economic empowerment in Bogije while it calls for loopholes to be sealed and more efforts invested as much is yet to be done in achieving women’s economic empowerment in Bogije, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos. Keyword: Female empowerment, women economic empowerment, women and media, radio and female empowerment, Bogije DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/75-06 Publication date: May 31 st 2021