On Air Dialogues: Harnessing Radio, Digital Voice, and Local Knowledge for Equity

Rural voices-particularly those of women, youth, and marginalized farmers-are often absent from decision-making in food systems, climate, and development policy. Farm Radio International's On Air Dialogues (OADs) model applies communication for equity by combining trusted radio with interactive digital platforms to create spaces for dialogue, local insights, and collective problem-solving. Implemented in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, the approach broadcasts radio episodes in local languages and gathers listener input through Interactive Voice Response (IVR polling and open voice recordings). This inclusive process reaches tens of thousands, with responses disaggregated by gender, age, and geography. Results reveal shared concerns around nutrition, unpaid care work, climate resilience, and market access, alongside gendered differences in priorities. Importantly, participants not only highlighted challenges but also proposed actionable solutions-from credit access to improved extension services. By fusing traditional practice (radio) audio messaging through digital voice technology, the approach resists media manipulation and promotes digital equity and control by ensuring marginalized people speak in their own words. 

Findings from OADs have been presented at major international forums, including the UN Food Systems Summit, COP27, Africa Food Systems Summit, and a Pan-African convening on unpaid care. These presentations demonstrate the global reach of the insights and their contribution to shaping policy dialogues at multiple levels. Lessons emphasize feedback loops, gender-sensitive design, and balancing digital innovation with culturally grounded communication. OADs illustrate how participatory SBCC models can amplify equity, elevate rural voices, and inform policies rooted in community realities.