Building the bridge to public media

Building the bridge to public media

Knowing that women are the potential group and strategic in building writing habit, Centre for Community Development and Education (CCDE) Banda Aceh, is building a bridge for women to covey them to the public media by building writing habit among women. This big dream appeared based on the reality above. CCDE tries to break the silence and solves the problems of women by building women’s writing habit. Firstly designed in 2001 but it became reality in 2003, supported by WDP Germany. Here, the women were trained for three days with knowledge and skills in creative writing. The results of the training, more women can write creatively and it encouraged CCDE publishes a women magazine as the learning and advocacy media.

Then, one year after tsunami disaster, CCDE got financial support from Hivos to build the women’s writing habit . The grant was allocated for running serial of creative writing training, monthly discussions and publication. 100 women from 7 districts were trained during the program. After the training, women in field are involved actively in the monthly discussions for sharpening and encouraging women to write. So, the discussion forum is the medium for practicing women to communicate orally and written.

Some good progresses achieved and some changes happened. POTRET is published monthly and the number increases from 1000 to 2000 and this month increases to be 3000 copies. The lay out, number of pages, the colours, the size and also the contributors of the articles also increase every month. The distribution is also broader until to 12 districts in Aceh, and out of Aceh. POTRET to day is available at the bookstores. Women’s participation build POTRET sustainability is high now.

Building Acehnese Women’s writing habit

Building Acehnese Women’s writing habit

By Tabrani Yunis

Some famous writers may say that writing is easy. There is nothing wrong with these sayings. It may be easy because the writer is skilful and writing has become a habit in his life. But, what about those people who do not have enough knowledge and less access to media, such as women? The answer must be different. When we are discussing about the differences, there will some factors included in the factors. One of the factors is the gender inequality between man and women in accessing the media. More people say that women have less access to public media such as newspapers, magazines, etc. This limited access has caused very few women can write in the public media which are published in Indonesia to day. May be this statement is debatable. But, however the facts show that very few women to day can write in the public media, even the local media. Most spaces in the media written by men. Women have become a silence majority.

Factually, women as the major population in Aceh and also in Indonesia are potential resources and stakeholders in media. The reality is that the number of women in Aceh is bigger than men. More than 53 percents of the populations are women. Even they are big, they are voiceless or soundless, because they have been marginalized and ignored or tends to be neglected. The fact also shows that women face various and big problems in their life, but the problems just being hidden. Every thing seems left in the silence. It is a big problem that should be solved by women. Even, women also potential as the consumers of the media and also as the contributors in colouring media with women’s writing. Unfortunately, most spaces in the printed media are not utilized by women because of some obstacles.