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Research and audience surveys
06 September 2015

 

2014 "Palestinian Media Monitoring of Gender Equality"

In November 2014, the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) conducted a specialized media monitoring study on gender for Radio Nisaa FM and the German “Deutsche Welle Akademie” Foundation. The study aimed to shed light on the reality of the Palestinian media’s treatment of gender issues from two perspectives: the first perspective concerned the Palestinian public’s perception of the media’s portrayal of Palestinian women; and the second focused on the status of Palestinian female journalists (working conditions, salaries, job securities and more), and journalists' perceptions on how local media outlets address women’s issues.

The study also devoted attention to the impact of conflicts on questions related to gender and the media (with special attention to crisis reporting during the latest 2014-war on Gaza). 

Main conclusions:

       - there is insufficient knowledge of specialized media outlets that handles women issues;
       - the Palestinian media does not present positive models of gender equality where men and women enjoy equal rights sufficiently;
       - the Palestinian media does not responsibly deal with women's issues such as violence against women, early marriage, and honor killings;
       - the Palestinian media covers the economic contributions of women the least, and the social contributions the most.
       - Palestinian media outlets did not sufficiently cover issues related to the impact of the aggression on women’s lives during the recent war on Gaza;
       - more male than women journalists find that media outlets are supportive of women in relation to equal opportunities to participate in development of media laws and policies;
       - women’s representation in decision-making positions in both independent media outlets and the government affiliated media platforms is very low;
       - women are to some extent exposed to sexual harassment in the field.

The full report, including policy recommendations, is available here

 

2014 "Monitoring and evaluation report: Qaweh Mzboot and Kalam Nisaa"

The use of media is a great way to propagate messages and have an influence on public opinion. Radio, even more so than television, is incredibly powerful in this respect, as it can be listened to easily at work, at home, and even when on the move. Therefore, radio is considered one of the most popular sources of news and information. Due to the increasing number of radio stations in Palestine, the competition has grown considerably.

In order to keep up with the competition and stay on top of Nisaa FM’s audience needs, likes, and dislikes, Nisaa FM and Open Society Foundations in July 2014 conducted a monitoring and evaluation report on two of Nisaa FM’s daily shows: Qaweh Mzboot and Kalam Nisaa. In addition to evaluating the public’s opinion on the format and quality of the shows’ content, the study also aimed to assess the impact of the two shows on promoting Nisaa FM’s values and mission statement.

The study concluded that the audience enjoyed the interactivity of Qaweh Mzboot, in particular a daily segment called “the question of the day”. While lacking a similar interactive dimension, Kalam Nisaa’s listeners appreciated the program’s focus on promoting women’s issues, women’s economic empowerment and position within society.

The full report is available here.

 

2013 “Radio Nisaa FM: Three Years After; Results of a Survey in the West Bank and Gaza” 

In November 2013, the Arab World Research and Development Centre (AWRAD) conducted an audience survey for Radio Nisaa FM.

The survey had amongst its key goals to assess the status of Radio Nisaa FM amongst Palestinians, investigate the socio-economic profile of the station's listeners, assess the needs and priorities of listeners concerning issues relevant to women and gender equality, and provide recommendations to improve the standing of the radio station. 

Below are some of the main results of the survey:

       - 96% of all listeners believe that the station has a positive impact on the lives of women in Palestine. 100% of women listeners believe the same;  

       - 91% of listeners support the participation of women in elections, compared with only 76% amongst non-listeners;  

       - 85% of Nisaa FM listeners support the work of women outside of the home, compared with 68% of the population as a whole;

       - 10% of the general public would employ a competent woman over a competent man, while 20% would do the same amongst Radio Nisaa’s listeners. 

Additional remarks:

“[Although] the name of the station might imply an audience of women only (Nisaa means 'woman’ in Arabic), men also listen to the station at a slightly higher rate than women, especially in the early morning hours. This is fulfilling the radio station’s mission to engage men in the discussion on gender equality.”

“[Nisaa FM’s] audience is well targeted. On one hand, many listeners are opinion leaders as they come from an educated social background and are actors in civil society. On the other hand, its audience includes women care-takers and housewives who have limited access to public spaces, and who, through Nisaa, gain access to information and can voice their opinions.” 

 

Other research projects

In 2016 Radio Nisaa FM was a part of a research thesis project: "Strategies of succes of Social Entrepeneurship" made by Daniella Tello Rioja from Airlangga University in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Find the final thesis here.