Elles Parlent, Elles Écoutent (She Speaks, She Listens)

In order to produce the programmes the Internews Network used teams of Chadian female reporters who spoke with the refugees in the camps about their grief and trauma and researched the mental health services available to these women. They interviewed psychologists and trauma experts working in the camps, and produced two 20-minute radio programmes - one in local Arabic, the other in French - exploring the options available to those dealing with grief and trauma.

More episodes of "Elles Parlent, Elles Écoutent" are planned, and are expected to cover issues such as the following: the role of men in sensitisation campaigns for gender-based violence; services available to teen mothers (some of whom are raising children resulting from rape or forced marriage); and how to address the risks and fears around collecting firewood (when girls and women leave the camps to collect wood for their cooking fires, they are, according to Internews, sometimes threatened, injured, and/or raped).

"Elles Parlent, Elles Écoutent" is aired on Internews' network of community radio stations.

Women, Health, Conflict.

According to relief workers, some of the women experience sadness so profound that grief turns to aggression, which causes them to be isolated from their community. The programme organisers say that some families in the refugee camps leave the traumatised women tied up in their tents because of their unpredictable and sometimes violent behaviour.

Following the broadcast of the radio programmes, camp workers reported that they had seen dramatic changes as women chose to stay active and connect with others.