Community Radio Gives Rural Indian Women a Voice in Decisions

Ten years ago, Mamta was so nervous about her first day as a radio broadcaster that she could barely speak. Today, she can still recite her opening lines perfectly from her time hosting programs on Community Radio Connect FM 107.8 in Nuh, Haryana.

Her journey mirrors a larger transformation happening across rural India. In districts like Nuh and Alwar where literacy rates are low and many women had never worked outside their homes, a community radio station is creating space for female voices in public conversations.

When S M Sehgal Foundation launched the station 13 years ago, Nuh was considered a media dark area. Government schemes existed to help residents, but information rarely reached the people who needed it most. Only one woman completed the initial broadcaster training program.

Getting women to speak on air required creativity and patience. Female broadcasters would ask their own daughters to call in with questions, hoping other women would follow their lead. Slowly, the strategy worked.

Now the station broadcasts programs specifically designed for women's needs. Farmers like 46-year-old Rekha Devi from Ramgarh tune in at 8 am to learn about drip irrigation and soil health. After hearing about the technique on air, she convinced her husband to try it on their farm, saving her hours of manual labor digging furrows.

Other programs spotlight women who've overcome barriers, explain government benefits for senior citizens, and discuss health and hygiene in accessible language. The station gives practical, actionable information that listeners can use immediately.

The Ripple Effect

The impact extends beyond individual farms. Women who once stayed silent in village planning meetings now arrive with information and confidence to contribute. They're asking questions about water management, participating in decisions about community resources, and claiming space in conversations that shape their lives.

Pooja Oberoi Murada, who leads the foundation's programs, says the change took consistent effort. The team had to continuously create opportunities for women to feel confident and heard. But the work is paying off as more women step into roles as broadcasters and active community members.

The station now operates in multiple villages across two states, reaching families who previously had no access to reliable information. For many women, tuning in has become a daily ritual that connects them to knowledge, opportunity, and each other.

In communities where women's voices were once absent from public discourse, radio waves are carrying a new message: everyone deserves to be heard.