The Swedish government is funding a project that encourages women to listen to the radio in several South Sudanese towns and rural areas, including Rumbek, Awerial, Pibor and Wau.

The project is a collaboration of UNESCO, the Southern Sudanese Women General Association, and the Catholic Radio Network.

Already four listeners groups have been established in Wau and Rumbek while four more in Awerial and Pibor are currently being established.

According to a statement by UNESCO yesterday, the clubs aim to provide women and youth in rural areas with access to information.

“The youth and women radio listener clubs have provided a dialogue platform for addressing issues at the community level and in local languages, with a view to finding home grown solutions to the issues affecting the communities in South Sudan,” reads the statement.

Speaking during a launch ceremony of listener clubs in Rumbek, Ola Nilsmo, Counsellor for Development at Sweden's embassy in Juba, urged women and youths to take a key role in peace building and development.

“What you are doing here in Rumbek through radio listener clubs, engaging women and youth, is very impressive. What you are doing, supported with free press, should bring development to the country,” said Nilsmo.

Angelina Inheim Akheich, the chairperson of the Rumbek Women Radio Listening club said that in their listening club discussions they are discussing subjects once considered taboo, such as sexual violence and early child marriage.

Members of the radio listener clubs in Wau and Rumbek have been given bicycles, handheld radio sets, smart mobile phones, digital audio recorders and rechargeable batteries.