22 February 2003, Kathmandu. Day 2 of the AMARC-8 Conference underscored the need to empower women to have access to the radio waves, change stereotyped images of women in media, and work towards women's rights and equality leading to a plan of action for the Women's International Network (AMARC-WIN).

During the morning plenary, Maria Suarez, of the Feminist International Radio Endeavor (FIRE) in Costa Rica, spoke of radio's role in addressing women's issues such as sexuality and advocacy for women and children in conflict, which were otherwise not given enough space in mainstream society. For women listeners in Costa Rica, radio is a venue for solidarity and intimacy, for sharing and addressing problems while protecting their identities, and a tool for political transformation.

Jaya Luintel of Radio Sagamartha in Nepal also shared soundbites of her radio program which included an interview with a woman tabla player (in the context of tabla playing, being a role traditionally assumed by men); an investigation and debate on on the issue of restricting overseas employment for women and government responsibility to ensure protection ; and an interview with a rape survivor and a discussion of rights on the local and national level. Luintel also pointed that one of the challenges in their production was the difficulty of finding songs by and for women.

Other panel members who shared their experiences in women's Community radio during the plenary were: Aby Diallo of Radio Belekan in Mali, Gabriela Ayzanoa of Milenia Women's Radio Station in Peru, Sangeeta Basudev of Women's Grab the Microphone in Great Britain.

The discussion was followed by regional reports from the Women's International Network and outgoing AMARC WIN (Women's International Network) Vice President Bianca Miglioretto's presentation of the AMARC WIN structure and how the General Assembly Works.

Afternoon of women's day was marked by workshops leading to a concrete plan of action for the Women's International Network. The workshops were:

1. Radio Training for Women: sharing knowledge and experiences (led by Mavic Balleza of Isis International-Manila)
2. Women's Voices without Frontiers: involvement in radio campaigns (led by Shingai Nyoka of AMARC Africa, Khady Bonkano Souley of Niger, Bintou Kamara of Gambia, and Maria Suarez of Costa Rica)
3. Women's empowerment in Community Radio: access to decision making (led by Lettie Longwe of WIN-Africa)
4. Gender Perspectives in Radio Broadcasting: how to make a difference (led by Bianca Miglioretto of Switzerland)
5. Finding men's role in the struggle for an equal society (led by Zane Ibrahim of South Africa) - note: this men's workshop is a historical first
for AMARC

Sixteen participants during the Workshop on Radio Training for women, shared their training experiences and challenges then identified several training needs of their various organizations.

The training needs, in brief, are:

• resources in defining community
• analyzing the needs of listeners in a community
• analyzing the needs of training participants before a training
• training the trainers
• gender sensitivity
• station management 
• production, interviewing, and editing techniques
• producing a magazine format show for radio
• digital broadcasting and Net streaming
• maintenance of community radio station
• an exchange of resource materials such as handbooks
• a code of conduct and journalism ethics for broadcasters

More concrete output on the workshops will be consolidated in the WIN plan of action.

A copy of the draft of the plan of action is available at http://kathmandu.amarc.org/article/articleview/68/1/9/