Rwanda Broadcasting Agency

Rwanda improved its position – from number 159 in 2017 to number 156 in 2018 on the global media freedom index produced by Reporter without borders, covering 180 countries. Swedish Radio Media Development Office (SR MDO) is supporting Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) to fulfil its role as an autonomous and professional media company, free from political interference, and with the goal to hold decision-makers accountable to its citizens through journalism.

Rwanda Broadcasting Agency and Swedish Radio have been working together since 2014 strengthening regional stations journalists and developing a five year strategy of for RBA to become a full scale public service media provider in Rwanda.

Nordic Consulting Group, Maria Holmqvist and Anja Taarup Nordlund, is engaged to support the two partners in making the RBA strategy a reality and were invited to visit RBA in October 2018.

It is very positive to hear and see that the RBA is committed to gender equality in their strategy work – fully in line with Rwandan priorities – a country which, since the genocide 1994, has made huge steps in every regards, including for gender equality.

WHY gender mainstream a media project:

1. Audience consist of both women, men, girls and boys. They have different preferences and needs as an audience. Responding to audience interest requires responding to a diverse set of needs!
2. For a professional management capacity to be strengthened, building capacity in both female and male managers is needed, and providing opportunities for both female and male future leaders.
3. To ensure the media organisation is an attractive employer, both women and men must have work/life balance and experience equal opportunities to grow as people and as professionals.

In a world where free media is being questioned it is a pleasure to witness the engagement expressed by Rwanda Broadcasting Agency to reach their mission, supported by the Rwandan government: ”To provide quality content that meets the needs of the audience and promotes cultural values, socio-economic development and citizen participation”.

Author: Anja Taarup Nordlund, NCG’s senior Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity Expert