India, Feb. 21 -- The last Engender column looked at how community radio proved transformative for women's lives in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh. Community radio has been no less transformative in Haryana's Birsika village. The village's anganwadi was run by a woman from another village who routinely diverted rations meant for pregnant women and children to her own private school. But, backed by Radio Mewat, six women from the Hinsa Ko No group summoned the police and put paid to this pilfering. This ensured that the anganwadi started working again.

Radio Mewat was piloted in 2018 to familiarise women with the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) 2005. A survey across 10 villages revealed that nearly every household had a case to report, but women rema...