CSR-in-Action raises hope on gender inclusion with Radio Drama Series

Sub-Saharan Africa’s foremost sustainability advocacy and consulting outfit, CSR-in-Action, has released a radio drama series to raise awareness on the problems faced by women and provide useful information for those experiencing such difficulties.

Titled ‘Things Dey Happen’, and set in a mining community, the radio drama succinctly illustrates the travails of women and young girls affected by gender-based violence and other negative socio-cultural norms in extractive communities.

According to Mrs Abosede Oluwakemi George, Permanent Secretary, Office of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Investments, Lagos State, women often suffer severe difficulties in silence.

“It is time for them to rise and speak up about those challenges threatening to limit their progress, as well as their active contribution to society,” she said.

The radio drama series is part of the ‘SITEI-Woman’ project, a series of initiatives targeted at empowering women, especially those impacted by the extractive industries in Nigeria.

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SITEI-Woman is an extension of CSR-in-Action’s Sustainability in The Extractive Industries Initiative (SITEI), which has served as a veritable platform for charting sustainable paths to more fairness and inclusion in Nigeria’s volatile and complex extractive industries sector for a decade.

“In Nigeria, women have been largely excluded from the growth and the development opportunities given by extractive industries in communities, while being at the same time disproportionately vulnerable to many of the risks associated with them”, said Bekeme Masade Olowola, Chief Executive of CSR-in-Action.

“SITEI-Woman is aimed at tactfully questioning and reversing norms that have culturally and systematically hampered women’s progress, with a special focus on equity, inclusion, justice and gender-based violence in host communities in Nigeria,” Olowola added.

For over 10 years, CSR-in-Action founded and implemented SITEI, with its annual flagship conference, also in its 10th year, through-the-year advocacy around equity amongst the key oil and gas and mining stakeholders – business, government – and community, women and youth rights.

This year, SITEI has transformed, from just one event to a series of initiatives collectively themed, ‘Empowered Women, Inclusive Communities’.

Produced by Bekeme Masade-Olowola and directed by James Amuta, the project is funded by Ford Foundation and supported by Zenera Consulting.

‘Things Dey Happen’ is recorded in Pidgin and is currently airing on select radio stations across the country, including Rockcity 101.9FM, Abeokuta-Tuesdays at 9am; Inspiration 92.3 FM, Lagos-Tuesdays at 11:35am; Love 97.7FM, Port Harcourt-Tuesdays at 3:30pm; Dream 92.5FM, Enugu- Tuesdays at 3:30pm; Splash 106.7FM, Abeokuta- Wednesdays at 6:45am; ITV Radio, Benin-Thursday at 4pm: DBS FM, Warri-Fridays at 9:15am; and Magic 102.9FM, Aba – Saturdays at 8:10am. Hausa and Yoruba versions are also in the offing.