Women's Empowerment and Good Governance Through - amarc

Best Experiences for an Action Research Process 68
Chapter 13.
Women and the Hopes
for Community Radio in Algeria
By Malika Boussof and Yasmine Medani (36)
As previously stated during our international meetings on community radio, among
them the one in Amman in November of 2006, Algeria still has no community radio
stations despite the growing needs expressed by civil society associations, among
others, concerned by the communication deficit between the government and its citizens. This
is an increasingly important deficit that is often at the origin of popular explosions and riots that
have mostly taken place in the country’s interior, and with cause! In Algeria, the further people
live away from the capital, where the decision-making centres are to be found, the more they
feel completely abandoned and forgotten.
A local radio broadcasting network does exist, which, when it was created by the government,
was to serve as backup for the three national networks, one in Arabic, another in French and
the third in Tamazight (Kabyle).
The existing 38 local radio stations, are even likely to increase to 48, to reach the number
of one per Wilaya, or city hall. The great number in itself should have been enough to satisfy
popular demand at least of general information. While the existence of this 38 radio stations
is positive, they do not, however, meet the demand of citizens who are very much interested
in what is happening in the country, nor do they meet their expectations for local news and