Dzimwe Radio empowers rural women to lead and thrive

MANGOCHI, Malawi — Malawi’s first community radio station, Dzimwe, amplifies women’s voices and economically empowers them through radio listening clubs. Over the years, these groups have brought women together, mainly once a week, gathering around the radio to share ideas about how they would develop their communities and their families.

Dzimwe Community Radio was established in 1998 with funding from UNESCO to serve the local population with programs that educate, inform and entertain. Station Manager Justin Sumaili told RedTech that the station recognized the power of radio in addressing gender disparities, particularly in rural communities where literacy levels are low and women often lack access to information.

“This is why we decided to champion the creation of radio listeners’ groups to help create a platform where women would meet regularly to listen to specific programs on the radio and share their views, engage in discussions and voice their concerns,” Sumaili said. The station is now working with 25 vibrant clubs, with dedicated members averaging between 40 and 50 per group, based in its designated transmission areas and others, including the Dedza, Ntcheu and Machinga districts, which receive its signal. 

“We train them to articulate the issues from their village perspective. Previously, we’d give them recorders to record themselves and also a radio for monitoring the programs. However, those initiatives stopped because of funding challenges. Now we tell them to prepare a topic they want to present to service providers, and our producer will record it,” said Sumaili.

A right to be heard

Cecelia Amos Milanzi, secretary for the Tipilire radio listening club in the Monkey Bay area, told RedTech that through these gatherings, women have established community savings groups, commonly known as village banks. She says these banks have helped them raise capital to run various businesses, enabling them to pay their children’s school fees, buy land and even build their own homes. 

Milanzi says the group has promoted gender equality by helping women voice their concerns to service providers (local authorities who respond to community needs). These service providers deliver requested developments like boreholes, bridges, roads, schools and clinics. “Before joining the group, I thought my role as a woman was just to care for my family. But now, I know I have a right to be heard and to make decisions that affect my life and community,” she said.

Two radio shows, “Muvi wa Chiponyeponye” (“Arrow of Development”) and “Amayi Pa chitukuko” (“Women on Development”), air content from members of the listening clubs tackling issues such as gender-based violence, women’s health, financial literacy and leadership. Producer and presenter Ellen Masina [not related to the writer] says that before they go to air, they make sure to get a response from service providers on the issue the group has raised.

She says the programs, structured around real-life experiences, sometimes use a panel discussion approach in which women and service providers are invited to the studio. This approach has seen many radio listening clubs receive various development efforts in their areas. “For example, in the Msumbi area in Monkey Bay, the listeners’ group initiated the establishment of the Ang’ona irrigation scheme, which is now a source of food for these women — sometimes they sell the crops for income.”

Masina also says that through the same listeners’ group, the women successfully convinced the district education authorities to help construct a junior primary school within their area, reducing the long distances their children used to travel to access education. “Other development programs the listeners’ groups championed are the construction of a bridge at Nankumba and the drilling of boreholes at Chiole and Nkupa areas,” she said.

A catalyst for change

Besides the community benefits, the initiative has also benefited individual members at the household level. The Mwaiwathu Radio Listening Club Chairperson Marcy Suya pointed out that the knitting skills she learned from the group are helping her knit baby clothes and other apparel she sells for a living. “When I sell my products, they help me pay school fees for my children and buy food. One of my children has completed her education and is now working. Other group members are also running businesses like selling doughnuts and tomatoes,” she said. Suya added that stories and lessons shared through the station’s programs have inspired women to participate in decision-making processes, a notable shift in the district’s gender dynamics. “We have seen more women reporting cases of abuse, standing up for their rights and actively participating in local governance. This is proof that radio is more than just entertainment — it’s a catalyst for change,” she explained. 

Successes aside, Suya says the challenges are limited access to radios, an erratic power supply and deeply ingrained cultural norms, which still hinder women’s full participation. However, station manager Sumaili said the station is working to expand its reach and influence by developing digital platforms and partnering with organizations that support women’s rights. “We want to ensure that even more women have access to information that can change their lives. We have applied for a regional license and have already paid a frequency fee to reach out to more areas,” Sumaili concluded.

The author reports on the industry from Blantyre, Malawi.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 edition of RedTech Magazine.

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