Notes to broadcasters
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How to use this resource
These questions are designed to help broadcasters conduct interviews with men and women who are comfortable having discussions about their sexual and reproductive health on air. Some interviewees may prefer to remain anonymous (unidentified) while speaking about these topics. So, remember to ask interviewees whether or not they want to remain anonymous on air and respect their preference. Keep in mind that you may need more than one interviewee to respond to all of the following questions. It is suggested that you interview at least one man and one woman.
How to limit the scope of your interview
When planning your interview, pick three to five of the numbered themes to discuss with your interviewee(s). Ask some or all of the follow-up questions to explore the themes thoroughly and give your audience diverse perspectives. Limiting the scope of the interview will also ensure that neither your listeners nor your guests get overloaded with information and stop paying attention. If you want to cover more details about this topic, arrange a series of interviews with one guest or with others who can speak on the issue.
How to conduct a great interview
Remember that good interviews are based on active listening and good follow-up questions. Use these questions as a guide to your discussion but be flexible enough to follow the discussion where it leads.
Do not reinforce stereotypes about gender or sex
Be careful not to say things that might reinforce stereotypes about gender or sex, and try not to make comments about whether you think something is morally right or wrong. Instead, model for listeners how to respect people with different opinions and experiences than your own. Also model to your listeners that we should listen to experts about facts and scientific information.
Use your interview to dispel myths and misinformation
Important doubts, concerns, and fears could be brought up during these discussions. Be sure to invite an expert to speak later in the interview to help address and dispel these, as well as myths or rumours that are prominent in your community.
Explain technical or scientific terms
The information that comes up during your discussion about sexual and reproductive health and rights might be technical or scientific. Always ask your interviewee(s) to explain technical concepts in clear and simple terms that any listener can understand. If any guest uses a complicated or technical term, ask them to explain it—even if you understand, your listeners may not.
Raise awareness about services in your community
Finally, you can use this interview as an opportunity to raise awareness about the different sexual and reproductive health services available in your community including clinics, hotlines, community organizations, and more. You can also help your listeners learn about their sexual and reproductive health rights. Be sure to do your research on these topics in advance of your interview so that you can share this information with your listeners on air.
Script
1. What does sexual and reproductive health mean to you?
a. How do you take care of your sexual and reproductive health?
b. Are you comfortable discussing sexual and reproductive health openly with your sexual partner? Why or why not?
c. Are you comfortable discussing sexual and reproductive health openly with your family? Your friends? Other people?
c.i. Why or why not?
d. How has your idea of sexual and reproductive health changed over time?
e. Do you feel that men and women are treated equally and fairly in terms of their sexual and reproductive health? Please explain.
2. What do you know about your sexual and reproductive health rights?
a. Do you feel that your sexual and reproductive health rights are protected and respected? Please explain.
i. Are there differences between the rights that exist for adult men and those that exist for adult women? Please explain.
ii. Do you feel that men and women are able to enjoy and exercise their rights to sexual and reproductive health equally?
3. Where do you get your information about your sexual and reproductive health and rights?
a. What has made it easy or difficult to learn about your sexual and reproductive health and rights?
b. Do you feel like you have enough information about your own body to make decisions about your sexual and reproductive health? Please explain why or why not.
c. Do you feel like you have enough information about your sexual and reproductive health rights to make decisions about your body? Please explain why or why not.
d. What more do you want to know about your sexual and reproductive health and rights?
4. What is your opinion of sex education in Mali?
a. What is your opinion of sex education in your community?
b. Do youth get the information they need about sexual and reproductive health and rights in school?
b.i. If not, does this cause problems for youth in your community?
b.i.1. What problems does this cause?
c. Other than in school, where and how do young women and men currently learn about their bodies and their sexual and reproductive health and rights?
5. What topics related to sexual and reproductive health and rights do you think are taboo to talk about? Why?
a. Where do these taboos come from?
b. In your opinion, what needs to change so that you can talk about these topics openly, freely, and without shame or stigma?
6. Do you think young people are aware of the different sexual and reproductive health services in your community?
a. If not, why not?
b. If yes, which ones?
c. What do you think needs to change for young people to know more about the sexual and reproductive health services available in your community?
d. What sexual and reproductive health services have you accessed in the past?
e. What was your experience in accessing these services?
f. What prevents or discourages you from accessing sexual and reproductive health services, if anything?
g. What changes would make it easier for you to access sexual and reproductive health services?
h. What changes would make you feel more comfortable and confident in accessing sexual and reproductive health services?
i. To what extent have you discussed accessing sexual health services with your sexual partner? Please explain.
j. What would make you feel more comfortable and confident in discussing sexual and reproductive health services with your sexual partner?
7. In your experience, are there enough sexual and reproductive health services in your community for people to take care of their sexual and reproductive health? Why or why not?
a. Do you feel that these services help to promote sexual and reproductive health in your community?
b. Do these services help to reduce the stigma of accessing sexual and reproductive health services?
c. How can these services be improved?
8. Which methods of contraception are you aware of or familiar with?
a. Do you use contraceptives? Why or why not?
i. If so, what method of contraception do you use or have you used?
ii. Why did you choose it?
iii. What was your experience of using this contraceptive?
iv.If not, are there particular reasons that you cannot access or choose not to use contraceptives?
b. What factors make it easy or difficult to access contraceptives in your community?
i. Are they readily available in pharmacies?
ii. Are they expensive?
iii. Do you feel shamed or stigmatized when getting contraceptives?
iv. Do you feel it is more easy or difficult for women to access contraceptives? Please explain.
v. What changes would make it easier to access contraceptives?
c. Have you encountered any objections from your sexual partners about using contraceptives?
i. How have you dealt with these objections?
ii. Are you comfortable negotiating condom use with your sexual partners?
d. Would you advise a loved one to use one or more contraceptive methods? Why or why not?
e. For you, what are the benefits of using contraceptives?
f. Do you have any doubts, fears, or concerns about using contraceptives? Please explain.
9. What are the sources of shame and stigma about sexual and reproductive health in your community?
a. What would help you to overcome shame and stigma related to your sexual and reproductive health? Or what has helped you overcome this shame and stigma in the past?
b. How can parents, teachers, family, friends, and religious or traditional leaders help people in their community to access the sexual and reproductive health services and information they need?
Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Aly Maiga, journalist, Mali.
Reviewed by: Gina Vukojević, Team Lead, Gender Equality and Inclusion, Farm Radio International, and Tinatswe Mhaka, Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) Officer, Farm Radio International.
This resource was produced through the “HÉRÈ – Women’s Well-Being in Mali” initiative, which aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health well-being of women and girls and to strengthen the prevention of and response to gender-based violence in Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti, and the district of Bamako in Mali. The project is implemented by the HÉRÈ – MSI Mali Consortium, in partnership with Farm Radio International (RRI) and Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) with funding from Global Affairs Canada.