Storytelling for Change: Using Facebook to Preserve Yemen's Cultural Legacy and Drive Progress
In this month’s Development Dialogue, we ask Sophia Warby, ARK’s Head of Communications:
“How can you use digital, specifically Facebook to deliver awareness messages in Yemen?”
Here’s what she had to say…
In Yemen, a nation facing multiple challenges, the internet has emerged as a lifeline, providing connectivity and information sharing amid political turmoil and economic instability. With the digital landscape steadily growing, social media platforms like Facebook can play a pivotal role in reaching Yemenis.
In Yemeni culture, storytelling holds a deep-rooted significance, with traditional narratives being passed down through generations. Storytellers, known as "rawi," commanded great respect as they captivated audiences with tales of bravery, love, and cultural heritage. These stories were more than entertainment; they served as tools to preserve history, share knowledge, and instil moral values. As Yemen faces various challenges, holding onto its cultural identity and traditions becomes increasingly vital. Using Facebook’s ability to tell stories, Yemeni storytelling can be preserved and showcased, ensuring that these invaluable narratives endure to shape the collective identity of the nation.
5 Tips for Leveraging Facebook for Messaging in Yemen:
1. Engaging and Memorable Content: The power of storytelling lies in its ability to create emotional connections and foster empathy. By delivering awareness messages as stories on Facebook, communicators can engage their audience more effectively and leave a lasting impression. Captivating storytelling can inspire active participation and support for various initiatives, driving meaningful change in Yemen.
2. Cultural Relevance and Authenticity: By weaving awareness messages with Yemeni storytelling elements, organisations ensure their content remains culturally relevant and relatable to the local population. This approach fosters authenticity and trust, making the audience more receptive to the messages being shared. Embracing Yemeni storytelling traditions on Facebook allows for seamless integration of campaigns within the fabric of Yemeni society.
3. Emotional Impact: Awareness messages often address pressing social, environmental, or health issues. When conveyed through stories, these messages can evoke emotions and empathy, compelling the audience to take action. Whether raising awareness about healthcare access, education, or environmental sustainability, using storytelling on Facebook creates a deeper emotional connection, motivating individuals to contribute to positive change.
4. Amplification through Social Sharing: At the start of 2023, Facebook's ad reach in Yemen was equivalent to 27.5 percent of the local internet user base, regardless of age. This highlights the platform's potential for organic dissemination, as captivating awareness messages can be shared and amplified across social networks. This organic reach fosters community engagement and facilitates collective efforts in addressing development challenges in Yemen.
5. Understanding Demographics: Facebook's ad audience in Yemen at the beginning of 2023 comprised 13.3 percent females and 86.7 percent males. This demographic insight is crucial for tailoring awareness messages to reach specific target groups effectively. By understanding the audience's composition, communicators can create content that resonates with diverse segments of the Yemeni population.
While Facebook has a considerable user base in Yemen, it should be noted that the platform's reach to women in the country is limited. As mentioned, according to data available at the beginning of 2023, Facebook's ad audience in Yemen was comprised of only 13.3 percent females, while 86.7 percent were males. This gender disparity indicates a significant underrepresentation of women on the platform, which poses challenges when it comes to delivering messages to this specific demographic.
Several factors contribute to the limits of Facebook's reach to women in Yemen:
Sociocultural Norms: Yemen is a conservative society with deeply ingrained traditional values and gender roles. Women in Yemen often face restrictions and cultural barriers that hinder their access to digital technologies and social media platforms. Sociocultural norms may discourage or prevent women from engaging with online platforms like Facebook, limiting their presence and participation on the platform.
Digital Literacy and Access: Access to the internet and digital literacy remain limited, particularly among women in Yemen. Factors such as economic constraints, lack of education, and geographical isolation may impede women's ability to access and use social media platforms, including Facebook.
Privacy and Security Concerns: In conservative societies like Yemen, women may be more concerned about their privacy and security when using social media platforms. Fear of harassment, online abuse, or unauthorized sharing of personal information may discourage women from actively participating on Facebook and other social media sites.
Traditional Communication Channels: In Yemen, traditional communication channels such as face-to-face interactions, community gatherings, and word-of-mouth play a significant role in information dissemination. Women may rely more on these traditional methods to stay informed and connected, reducing their inclination to engage with digital platforms like Facebook.
Language Barriers: Yemen has multiple local languages and dialects, which can affect women's engagement on Facebook. The platform may primarily be available in Arabic, which could pose challenges for women who are not proficient in the standard Arabic language.
Content Relevance: The content available on Facebook may not always align with the interests and needs of women in Yemen. Lack of relevant content and representation may further discourage women from actively using the platform.
Recognizing and addressing these limitations is essential for promoting gender-inclusive communication and awareness campaigns in Yemen. To enhance Facebook's reach to women in the country and improve the effectiveness of awareness messages, stakeholders can take several steps:
Gender-Sensitive Content: Develop content that is gender-sensitive, culturally relevant, and inclusive of women's perspectives and experiences. Creating content that resonates with women's interests and concerns can encourage their engagement on the platform. Creating closed women’s only pages could be considered.
Digital Literacy Programs: Implement digital literacy programs specifically targeted at women, empowering them with the necessary skills to access and utilize social media platforms like Facebook.
Addressing Privacy Concerns: Emphasize privacy and security measures on Facebook to assure women that their personal information is protected. Raising awareness about privacy settings and reporting mechanisms for harassment can encourage more women to use the platform.
Local Language Content: Offer content in various local languages and dialects to ensure accessibility and relevance for women who may not be proficient in standard Arabic.
Collaborate with Women's Groups: Partner with local women's organisations and community groups to leverage their networks and engage women on social media platforms. Building trust and support from existing community structures can foster greater acceptance of Facebook as a communication tool.
In addition to the gender-specific challenges faced by women in accessing and utilizing Facebook, it should be noted that both men and women in Yemen encounter serious internet access obstacles. Internet penetration in Yemen remains relatively low, with approximately 32% of the population having internet access as of early 2023. Moreover, the cost of internet packages is prohibitively expensive for many Yemenis, making it difficult for them to afford consistent internet connectivity. Furthermore, the country experiences regular internet outages due to infrastructural damage resulting from ongoing conflicts. These challenges hinder the widespread adoption and usage of social media platforms like Facebook, limiting their potential as effective solo tools for delivering awareness messages. Instead, digital and social should be considered as one part of a suite of communications approaches to ensure messaging penetrates beyond the few.
In Yemen's evolving digital landscape, despite challenges Facebook presents a valuable opportunity for delivering messages. By embracing the cultural significance of storytelling and incorporating traditional narratives on modern platforms, communicators can create engaging and impactful content that resonates with Yemeni audiences. While Facebook's reach in Yemen is substantial, its access to women in the country is limited due to various sociocultural, economic, and digital barriers. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for promoting gender-inclusive communication and spreading awareness messages effectively to women in Yemen. By implementing gender-sensitive content, digital literacy programs, and addressing privacy concerns, stakeholders can work towards increasing Facebook's reach to women and fostering greater gender equality in information dissemination and online engagement.
In the past ten years ARK has worked with Yemeni partners to produce content ranging from UXO awareness and public health messaging during the pandemic, to information campaigns focused on climate change and the environment. It has been our experience that Facebook's considerable user base, coupled with its sharing capabilities, ensures that campaigns can reach and inspire a wide audience, fostering positive change in Yemen's society. As communicators harness the power of storytelling on Facebook, they not only preserve Yemen's rich cultural heritage but also drive initiatives that contribute to the nation's progress. By seizing this opportunity, we can collectively work towards building a brighter and more sustainable future for Yemen and its resilient population.
Development Dialogues: Quick Answers to Critical Questions
Development Dialogues is ARK’s blog series that features subject matter experts from both ARK and the wider development industry. In each post, our expert guest will answer a short but critical question related to a specific issue or challenge facing them or the industry. These quick and insightful answers will provide you with valuable insights and ideas to help navigate the complex world of international development programming. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to the field, Development Dialogues will provide a forum for knowledge sharing, and the provision of practical, sustainable solutions to pressing issues.