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Going global with Facebook Live

Bidhya Chapagain — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Hundreds of thousands of people across the world joined our first two Facebook Lives from Nepal, grabbing the opportunity to question an inspiring group of female personalities and politicians.

Usually when I present the political debate show, (Common Questions), a sea of faces look back from a packed studio floor, ready to ask tough questions of a panel of public figures and politicians.

This time, the studio was almost empty. Audience members in their tens of thousands were instead joining the debate on Facebook Live – while catching a lift to work, on their lunch break or relaxing at home.

The debates, which featured Deepa Shree Niraula, a much loved actress and director, and two prominent female politicians, Shanta Chaudhary and Renu Chand, aimed to inspire more women to engage in politics and social issues as part of the ��̳ season.

I never thought I’d check Facebook so much during a live broadcast, yet in this case, the urge was irresistible. Hundreds of comments, thumbs-up and smiley emoji faces were popping up on the screen in front of me.

Bidhya Chapagain presents a Sajha Sawal 'Facebook Live' featuring politicians, Shanta Chaudhary and Renu Chand

The debates were watched a total of 225,000 times, with the audience submitting over 1,000 questions – covering everything from party politics and domestic violence to career advice. For the first time, fans of our 1.7m-strong Facebook page living in places as far apart as Dubai, Malaysia, South Korea, the UK, US and Canada were able to participate live in the debate.

It provided a deeply personal glimpse into the lives of the panellists too.

Shanta Chaudhary was just eight years old when her parents sold her into bonded labour, forcing her to scrub, cook and sweep for 19 hours a day in a stranger’s home. Determined to protect others from the same experience, Shanta became an activist and joined parliament in 2008 to become one of Nepal’s most influential politicians.

Shanta told the audience that on entering parliament, she checked her first pay check again and again. It was the first time she’d been able to fully afford to feed and clothe her children. She went on to describe how hurt she felt when people called her “the illiterate politician” mocking her inability to read and write. In defiance of their jibes, she returned to ‘school’ and has now written an autobiography about her journey from slavery to politics.

There was laughter too. When one Facebook user asked Deepa Shree Niraula about her educational qualifications, the actress said that although she hadn’t yet gone to university, she was studying for a “bachelor’s degree in life”.

The response to our first ever online broadcasts was incredible. The informality of the platform really helped the panellists to relax and speak their mind.

Best of all it allowed Sajha Sawal to reach a broader audience. We were truly able to go global – engaging with Nepalese people working abroad with limited access to Nepali TV and radio.

The Facebook Live’s were produced to coincide with the ��̳’s season. We are not funded by the ��̳’s licence fee and depend on the generous support of donors. Help support our work.

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Six forgotten female stories which now ‘exist’ on Wikipedia

Sam Waterton — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 09:49:54 +0000

Just 17% of profiles on Wikipedia are women. And even fewer exist in languages other than English. ��̳ Media Action teams in Nepal, Afghanistan and India joined a global edit-a-thon to help change the record as part of the . Here are a few of the inspiring stories they added.

Lhakpa Sherpa

Lhakpa is a mountain climber who summited Mount Everest seven times, more times than any other woman in the world. Although her Wikipedia already existed in English, her profile is now available for people to read in Nepalese too. Nisha Rai, who edited the page says, “I noticed that despite Lakpa being on the ��̳ 100 Women list – there wasn’t anything written on Wikipedia about her in Nepalese. Now I’ve updated her information, she can be an inspiration for women in Nepal [who don’t speak English] too.”

Late Parijat, Jhamak Ghimire and Radha Paudel

What do all of these famous Nepalese writers have in common? They’ve all won Madan Puraskar, Nepal’s most prestigious literary prize. “Although all of the writers already have short profiles on Wikipedia, there wasn’t a place to read about women who had won the prize”, says Bhawana Gurung, who added the . “I wanted to make it easier for people to find these inspiring women. It felt great – and I’ll be putting even more information on their Wikipedia profiles in the next few days.”

Preethi Srinivasan

Preethi was captain of the under-19 Tamil Nadu women’s cricket team when a near fatal accident left her paralysed from the neck down. Undeterred by her life-changing injuries, Preethi co-founded Soulfree, a charity aimed championing the rights of people with disabilities. Payal Shah who created says, “I chose Preethi because her journey is one of exceptional courage and determination. She’s an inspiration to us all.”

Archana Sardana

Archana is India’s first BASE jumper and master scuba diver trainer. “Archana is one of those rare Indian women who ventured into extreme sports - where participation of women remains uneven”, said Padmapriya Sastry who added the . “She is a living example that gender, age and marriage shouldn’t limit women from pursuing their dreams.”

We are not funded by the ��̳’s licence fee and depend on the generous support of donors. Help our work.

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Our Girls, Our Future

Catherine Juma — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Girls in South Sudan are less likely than boys to start school and more likely to drop out. Our radio producer visited her former school to find out if educational aspiration for girls is improving.

“Where’s my mango tree?” I wondered, as I entered the gates of my former school, welcomed by a gaggle of smiling school girls dressed in smart red and white uniforms

As a young girl, I’d planted a mango tree in a shady area of Juba Girl’s Secondary School. The tree was a symbol of a future ripe with possibilities, where if you nurture something – feed it, water and protect it - then delicious fruits will eventually appear.

On returning I was overwhelmed with happiness. The long, narrow classrooms of the school hold many special memories, not least, as the place where I first learned the art of writing – small steps which would help me launch my career as a journalist.

I’m currently using my journalism skills to produce , a radio show in which we highlight inspirational stories to convince girls – and their parents – that education matters. Girls are still less likely to start school than their male counterparts in South Sudan, and those who do are more likely to drop out early.

A good girl stays in school

Many parents in South Sudan believe that a ‘good girl’ should stay at home. Poverty and insecurity as well as traditional ideas about the place of girls in society all play their part. I believe the opposite - that for South Sudan to forge a better future - a ‘good girl’ should stay in school.

Passing through the grassy courtyard I once played in as a child, I joined a stage filled with scores of successful women: lawyers, doctors, bankers, engineers, journalists and businesswomen. A sea of eager young faces looked up at us. The careers fair ‘Our Girls, Our Future’, organised by , was an opportunity to provide young girls with role models – and a chance to quiz us on our achievements.

Atong Ngor, engineer, mentoring girls at GESS Careers Fair. Credit: Girls Education South Sudan

One girl asked me about some of the challenges I faced at school. I told her there were many! The dangerous distraction of boys (to be avoided at all costs!), lack of reliable transport to get me to class in time, low expectations and the constant disruption of war. Unsurprisingly, many of these challenges still hinder girls’ education and limit their aspirations today.

There is hope. The number of girls completing their final year at Juba Girls Secondary School has rocketed since I was there over a decade ago. I’m confident that radio shows like ‘Our School’ and initiatives like the careers fair will help improve this figure even more.

Hah! The tables have turned! Hiba Morgan, Al Jazeera reporter, is interviewed by girls at GESS Careers Fair. Credit: Girls Education South Sudan

Investing in success

After the panel discussion, we broke up into groups for mentoring sessions. “What advice would I have wanted to hear as a 16 year old?” I asked myself.

“To succeed, a girl needs to know why she's in school, I repeat, she needs to know this. School isn’t just about learning new things now, it’s an investment in the future of your family, your community and your country,” I told my group. After the mentoring session, I picked up my recorder and put on my headphones to capture all the inspiring conversations around me, to be broadcast to girls across South Sudan through our national radio partner, Radio Miraya.

“Ah Catherine, I want to be like you”, said a girl, tugging on my t-shirt as I gathered my things to leave. Along with the warm glow of nostalgia from visiting my former school, it felt so good to be one of the women acting as a role model for these girls.

I never did find the mango tree I planted all those years ago. Instead, I found hundreds of little girls, striving to be the best they can be. Just like little trees – the more sustenance they can get (through positive role models and education) – the more fruit they’ll bear and the stronger they’ll grow.

This article was written as part of the ��̳’s season. Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #100women.

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Going global with Facebook Live

Six forgotten female stories which now ‘exist’ on Wikipedia

Our Girls, Our Future

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