Abstract
BACKGROUND: Community-level interventions to prevent violence against women (VAW), though potentially efficacious, are challenging to implement at scale, requiring intensive long-term engagement. There is thus interest in the potential for mass-media strategies, including 'edutainment', to complement and extend the reach of in-person community programming. While edutainment interventions can demonstrably reach large audiences at relatively low cost, little is known about who they reach/exclude, nor about barriers/facilitators to engagement. This paper describes the extent to which 'Together with Gloria!' (TWG), a 33-episode radio-drama, expanded the reach of SASA! Together, a community-level VAW prevention intervention in Western Uganda. METHODS: As part of a broader mixed-methods evaluation, we conducted two cross-sectional community surveys: baseline (6-weeks into broadcasting); and endline (6-weeks after final broadcast). Qualitative data collection included focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with community members, local leaders and SASA! Together Community Activists. We present descriptive data on TWG's reach, and the extent to which people listened/discussed TWG with others. We use logistic regression to explore variation in reach by socio-demographic characteristics. Barriers/facilitators to engagement are explored using survey and qualitative data. RESULTS: At endline (n = 1018), 52% of survey respondents reported having listened to TWG. Across all demographic sub-groups, exposure to TWG considerably exceeded exposure to in-person SASA! Together programming, with TWG listening more uniformly spread across villages. Among men, listening was positively associated with increasing age, having a partner and children, and radio ownership. Among women, listening was positively associated with secondary education, being childless, and owning a radio. Most listeners (74% men; 64% women) reported usually listening with others (most commonly a partner), and 41% had discussed TWG with other community members. Communal listening and multiple broadcast stations/timeslots were noted to facilitate listening. Barriers included lack of radio access (particularly among women), and lack of time. CONCLUSIONS: TWG expanded overall reach of in-person SASA! Together programming, and reduced geographical disparities in access. Use of multiple radio-stations/broadcasting timeslots allowed many to listen despite competing time-commitments. Future revisions to broaden access and appeal could include communal broadcasts in public places, and the incorporation of characters and storylines to resonate with younger childless men.