Somali radio run by female staff on air

15 Feb Press TV

A radio station run by female staff has started working in Somalia on the World Radio Day.

Women in Somalia, one of the dangerous countries for journalists, have established Aman Radio in the capital Mogadishu.The radio station aims to help women's voice be heard in a country where rape and domestic violence are widespread."When you start working on something, there is bound to be challenges. This happened to us too as we worked on this. People asked us why we were doing this because girls have never done it before," said Farhiyo Farah Aoble, the station manager of the radio.

"We have proved them wrong and now we have created the platform to air the voice of Somali women," she added. Instead of discussing politics, the radio focuses on social issues like education, community development and healthcare that affect the society.

"I want to speak for the disadvantaged and those whose voice has never received attention. We rarely discuss politics. We focus on the community, women, healthcare, education and the rebuilding of the country," Aniso Abdullahi, the editor of the radio, said.

Most people in Somalia use radio to receive the latest news and listen to programs and music. According to statistics, there are more than 28 radio stations operating in Mogadishu alone.

February 13 is the World Radio Day. The theme for 2014 is "Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women through Radio"."Without the voices of more than half the world's population, how can we understand the whole story?" said Irina Bokova, the director-general of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in her message for the day.