PRESS STATEMENT
March 10, 2008

AS CALLS for political reforms, transparency and truth intensify; the voices of grassroots women are definitely left in the wilds or barely heard amidst the public discourse. A challenge rests on the government as it continuously invokes its mandate to continue working to improve the economic conditions of the poor amidst all the political noise. The challenge is not only to speak of their mandate for the poor but to act and act swiftly for grassroots women who continue to bear the burden of economic hardships.

We also call on civil society groups harping on reforms to seek and hear the voices of grassroots women in their quest for good governance and political participation. We dare our civil society groups to strengthen grassroots women’s participation in defining the nation’s recourse amidst the growing political crisis besetting the country.

ISIS International finds this moment most appropriate to launch its' study on People’s Communications for Development. This study reveals the effective communication tools for grassroots women's political participation.

For instance radio and cellular phone were cited as the most effective communication tools for grassroots women in the Philippines..

Radio was ranked as the most effective communication tool with 59% of the respondents of the study citing its interactive nature and wide-reaching coverage as the reasons why it was used by women in the community. Community women easily access the radio, listen to it, and actively take part in the discussion by sending through the SMS text their reactions, questions or comments.

Cellular phone was cited as the second of the most effective communication tools with 49% of the respondents citing this as an effective tool because it sends messages quickly, elicits immediate replies, and is ultimately cheaper on the pocket. Film or video and TV follow both at 29 percent.

Radio is a communication tool found in many community households. Not surprisingly, the cellular phone appears to be the most accessible to grassroots women according to 71% of the respondents.

The cellular phone is one of the most visible new Information Communication Technology (ICT) in contemporary Filipino life, with many people owning one or at least having access to one. A cursory glance at the local setting would reveal that cellular phones have become a staple among Filipinos, male or female, young or old, rich or poor. The reality is that it is much easier, cheaper and faster to acquire a cellular phone than a landline phone in the Philippines.

The audiovisual nature of films/ videos and TV makes these effective among grassroots women. The respondents observe that the grassroots women recall scenes from what they have seen on television rather than what they have heard on radio. They credit TV for eliciting emotional participation yet they observe that people are now patronizing new shows that provide legal advice. This makes the medium informative and empowering for women as well.

The Internet appears to be the least accessible tool to women and to the grassroots community in general, according to 76% of the respondents.

The introduction of ICTs, like in the case of National Broadband Network (NBN) is based on the notion that these will lead to empowerment and development for all. This ICT-centric development is the reason that we are interrogating this framework to determine the most effective communication tools used by intermediary groups to reach grassroots women.

The computer and internet were considered as least effective communication tools, according to 28% of the respondents. The computer and the Internet were perceived as least effective due to its high cost and lack of electricity in some areas. This low access leads to low literacy on computers.

That the computer is not a necessity among the grassroots is an understatement, especially since the disadvantaged communities still struggle for their basic needs. They do not see the urgency and lack the interest because it is not relevant to their livelihood especially since most of them are into laundry and manicure services or selling wares around the neighborhood.

In the light of these insights, the challenge now lies on the government and civil society groups, to heed the call of the people and strengthen democracy through the use of effective and appropriate communications for grassroots women's political participation.

Thank you for coming to this press conference.