In Ethiopia, Population Media Center (PMC) employs powerful media initiatives to promote reproductive health and family planning, sparking conversations and empowering individuals to make informed choices about their reproductive futures. Through culturally resonant storytelling and strategic messaging, PMC’s programs in Ethiopia aim to improve access to reproductive health services and empower women and couples to plan their families for a healthier and more prosperous future.
Hailegnaw Eshete, PhD, MPH
Country Director, PMC-Ethiopia
hailegnawe@populationmedia.org
Population Media Center (PMC) has been actively engaged in Ethiopia since 2001, leveraging the power of media to address critical issues affecting communities. Ethiopia’s annual population growth rate of 2.85 percent presents significant demographic challenges, with PMC-Ethiopia playing a pivotal role in supporting development efforts. Over the years, PMC’s programs have contributed to notable advancements, including doubling the contraceptive prevalence rate. Recognized with accolades like the 2011 Global Media Award, PMC-Ethiopia has focused on initiatives that enhance awareness about family planning, contraception, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other health and social issues. Recent endeavors include the launch of “Nekakat” in 2020, a 156-episode radio series tackling themes like family planning and gender-based violence, complemented by “Yalaleke Guzo,” a talk show providing deeper insights into these critical topics through expert interviews and personal narratives. PMC’s commitment to inspiring lasting change through transformative storytelling underscores our dedication to promoting positive behavior change and empowering Ethiopian communities toward a brighter future.
“The best way to confront social norms is through innovative and collaborative engagements, appealing through reasoning that upholds human rights and dignity of all people, irrespective of their gender. It starts with identifying the problem or issue at the beginning. Design a program in collaboration with stakeholders, involving the affected people from the inception, for positive change. A good working relationship with colleagues, stakeholders, the public and private sectors, and the community is consistently important.”
Dr. Hailegnaw
Entertainment-Education and Social Change introduces readers to entertainment-education (E-E) literature from multiple perspectives. This distinctive collection covers the history of entertainment-education, its applications in the United States and throughout the world, the multiple communication theories that inform E-E, and a range of research methods for studying the effects of E-E interventions.
Azurit contributed to the Whole Society Strategy supporting the radio serial drama Yeregebu Fetiloch (“Loosen Threads”). Other components of the Whole Society Strategy included a radio talkshow, Finote Lesiket (“The Right Path to Success”) and capacity building training programs.
A hit show that generated 15,000 letters from listeners, 70 news articles, and 30 discussion programs. This 240-episode radio show aired in Oromiffa, a major Ethiopian language, on the National Service Radio of Ethiopia. Dhimbiba was launched in conjunction with another radio show, Yeken Kignit (“Looking Over One’s Daily Life”) that ran for 240 episodes in Ethiopia’snational language, Amharic. The broadcast of the two radio shows in two languages had a dramatic reach. Approximately half of the population of Ethiopia listened to one of PMC’s radio shows, which equates to approximately 40 million listeners. PMC alsopublished two supporting books, Yehiwot Tebitawoch (“Drops of Life”)and Kinfam Hilmoch (“Winged Dreams”), and produced a play, Yesak Jember (“Laughter at Dusk”). As with all of PMC’s radio shows, Dhimbiba was created using PMC’s radio show methodology.
The talkshow was part of the Whole Society Strategy for the Mieraf (“New Beginning”) radio show and aired in Amharic, the official language in Ethiopia, on the National Service Radio of Ethiopia. Fenote featured live discussions with real-life Health Extension Workers to build trust and encourage utilization of services to improve health delivery and access for people in Ethiopia. Fenote was geared towards encouraging community conversation to share information and exchange ideas among Health Extension Workers and community members as part of the Whole Society Strategy for the radio show Mieraf (“New Beginning”).Fenote included call-ins from listeners where they can discuss the issues raised inMieraf.
View how Ethiopia has made great strides in a number of development areas in the more than a decade PMC-Ethiopia has been working there.
Take a deep dive into Population Media Center’s work in Ethiopia, including shows, resources, projects, and news.
View the projects in which Population Media Center works to promote family planning and reproductive health in Ethiopia through entertainment education.
