Celebrating Women’s Month

For more than 100 years, people have celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8 and, over time, March has become recognized as “Women’s Month” dedicated to gender equality. For us at Population Media Center (PMC), every month is Women’s Month. Every day, we are inspired by the actions and insights from women and girls around the world.

Our committed global staff will share some of their personal thoughts on women’s rights throughout the month of March at PopulationMedia.org/iwd2022.

Trained in the art and science of storytelling for social impact, we work to #BreakTheBias against women worldwide. Removing stereotypes, eliminating barriers, opening opportunities – this is the heart of our work. It is the script we follow to change lives.

Trained in the art and science of storytelling for social impact, we work to #BreakTheBias against women worldwide. Removing stereotypes, eliminating barriers, opening opportunities – this is the heart of our work. It is the script we follow to change lives.

HOW DOES PMC #BREAKTHEBIAS?

PMC is a global sustainability non-profit and broadcast production partner. We create life-changing, popular entertainment that challenges and changes a community’s perspective about what women “can” and “can’t” do. Combining behavior theory, media industry insight, and character-driven, culturally relevant storylines, our transformative approach empowers by entertaining. It’s clear that our work is deeply connected to this year’s International Women’s Month theme, #BreakTheBias.

“THE WORLD WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A FEMALE LENS ON ISSUES, LEADING TO MORE COMPASSIONATE SOLUTIONS.”—LISA CARUSO, PMC HEAD OF U.S. CONTENT.

In 2018, our team produced Mai Sari Sunakhari (“Orchid, Like Me”) in Nepal, a 208-episode radio show. The program featured the power of educating daughters, women contributing to household economies, and ending marriages whenever domestic abuse happens.

Research showed that Mai Sari Sunakhari opened eyes, minds, and dialogues. Most notably,

• Listeners of the program were 3 times more likely than non-listeners to believe that girls should be encouraged to continue their education and 1.4 times more likely to believe continuing education makes a girl better equipped to contribute to the family income.
• Listeners were also more than twice as likely to believe that women and men have equal leadership capabilities.
• Listeners were 7 times more likely to believe they should be able to initiate a divorce if unhappy with their marriage and 5 times more likely to believe they should be able to remarry.

Through the power of entertainment, our teams are turning the page on systematic oppression of women and girls, many of whom still live in societies that are deeply prejudiced against them.

“WOMEN SHOULD HAVE EQUAL HUMAN RIGHTS. IF THIS WERE THE WAY, WOMEN ALL AROUND THE WORLD WOULD BE FREE.” —NATALIA CERESAR, PMC-GUATEMALA COUNTRY DIRECTOR. 

WHO BENEFITS WHEN WE #BREAKTHEBIAS?

At PMC, we know that by addressing the most pressing, fundamental threats to gender equity where it matters most—in human hearts and minds—we inspire entire communities to choose a healthier, more equitable, and flourishing world for all.

Spouses, parents, religious edicts, patriarchal social norms – any number of factors conspire to deny autonomy to women. This harms individual women, but harm is never isolated. Grave damage cascades in myriad ways to her children, her community, and ultimately, her planet. Gender inequality propagates harm and robs the world of beauty, insight, laughter, brilliance.

With equal access to education and vital health resources, women and girls can empower, lead, and serve their communities. They can have the autonomy to choose when and if to have children. They can write their own life stories.

“GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OUR OWN CHOICES. BUILD POLICY TO ENSURE WOMEN CAN CHOOSE WHETHER THEY WANT CHILDREN OR NOT. ENSURE DECISION-MAKING POSITIONS ON ISSUES TO DO WITH WOMEN HAVE MORE OF A FEMALE PRESENCE. INVEST AND BELIEVE IN ACCESS FOR ALL GIRLS.” —MWAKA NAMWINGA, PMC-ZAMBIA MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER.

PMC is on a quest for global sustainability. We understand — and act upon every day — the vital need to improve reproductive health, reproductive autonomy, and women’s and girls’ social status and self-determination. This is a bedrock for a flourishing world for all.

IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE TO #BREAKTHEBIAS?

While the work ahead is immense, PMC’s shows demonstrate clear progress in the here and now: women speaking confidently to their partners about family planning methods, adolescents discovering their voice to say “no” to early marriages, fathers prioritizing education for their daughters, and hundreds of girls fleeing to safe centers to resist female genital mutilation.

Our transformative work continues as we work toward a system where women and girls get to follow their dreams, meet their potential, discover their value, and change the world.

Full empowerment and liberation of women and girls will be an extraordinary moment in the evolution of humankind — and will strengthen our ability to solve other crucial social and environmental challenges. As we strive for gender equality today, we set the stage for a sustainable tomorrow.