"First and foremost for our adolescents": community radio programming for teenage pregnancy prevention in Ada, Ghana

This thesis explores whether a community radio station in Ghana, called Radio Ada, represents the experiences of teenage mothers in their programing. Through participatory programming methods, social determinants of teenage pregnancy can be identified. One social factor leading to teenage pregnancy is exploitation around access to work at the Songor lagoon, which Radio Ada is a partner in advocating against. I collected data in interviews and a focus group with teenage mothers in Ada, interviews with Radio Ada staff, and observed planning for an adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights radio series. I evaluate radio programming on a continuum of stereotypical to empowering (Gupta 2000). The findings demonstrate a paradox: there is capacity for Radio Ada to disrupt harmful gender and sexuality norms yet there is a disconnect between programming and the experiences of teenage mothers to whom I spoke. The methodological and theoretical frameworks are women's standpoint and postcolonial feminism.