BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international charity - we believe in media and communication for good. Last year, we reached more than 130 million people in some of the world’s poorest and most fragile countries. Our projects and programmes save lives, protect livelihoods, counter misinformation, challenge prejudice and build democracy.
Who we areAs the BBC's international charity, we work to a distinct mission underpinned by the editorial values of the BBC. Learn more about who we are, what we stand for, our people and our finances.
Our workWe reached more than 130 million people last year – helping to save lives and improve health, protect livelihoods, challenge inequality and build more peaceful and democratic societies. Learn more about what we do.
Our insight and impactAudiences are at the heart of everything we do; we go to great lengths to understand the people who most need our programmes. Delve into our data, use our research library and explore our impact and insight.
Support us todayAs an independent charity, we are not directly funded by the BBC Licence Fee. Our vital work relies on our donors - governments, foundations, corporations and individuals. Donate today to support our mission.
Latest news
Responding to the Afghanistan earthquakeOur team is on the ground with Lifeline programming to support the aid effort - please donate.
“Let’s Talk About Us” - tackling taboos about reproductive health in South SudanOur radio programme is sparking conversations about sexually transmitted infections, child marriage, early pregnancy, gender-based violence, puberty, menstrual hygiene and contraception.
Using compassion to build tolerance through radio drama in MyanmarBBC Media Action's Tea Cup Diaries is a radio drama designed to encourage religious and ethnic inclusion. Becky Palmstrom, our senior advisor on governance and rights, shares five lessons we learned for communication practitioners working on religious and social inclusion.
Supporting Somali women towards economic empowerment and transformationThis study found that the radio content and local discussions are helping Somali women to better participate in the informal and formal business sector. Listeners were engaged with the programmes and saw them as important and educational and they also encouraged men to support their wives in business.
Helping media partners better understand and engage their audiencesThis summary looks at findings from ongoing research, under the PRIMED (Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development) project, which helps media partners build a picture of audience profiles and needs, equipping them with insight to improve output.
Brave girls valiantly stopping child marriages in BangladeshChowa and her young friends became known as the ‘Grasshoppers’ when they joined forces to prevent early marriage for girls in their school. Now four years after appearing on our radio programme Hello Check! we find out what happened next.
Amplifying the voices of women and girls5 minutes, 5 countries, 5 women: Have a listen to stories based on real women and girls, that address issues such as child marriage, girls’ education, violence against women and girls, and economic empowerment and entrepreneurship for women around the world.
INSIGHT: How poo became one of our greatest creative challenges yetHow many of us ever think about what happens after we flush? Yet with 60% of urban India not connected to modern sewage systems, it is a pressing health issue. We look at the thinking behind our revolutionary Navrangi drama series.
What it takes to be a happy and healthy family in CambodiaOur brand-new television comedy drama, aimed at engaging young people, explores what it takes to be a Sok San (Happy Healthy) family in 21st century Cambodia.
'See it, avoid it, report it' - mine awareness in AfghanistanWatch our viral PSA and learn more about our work to protect children from unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan.
Understanding mental health in the Rohingya communityOur research explored people’s perception of mental health, related social stigma, and motivation and barriers to accessing mental health services within both host and Rohingya communities in Bangladesh.
Public interest broadcasting from the frontlines in UkraineHow Suspilne is bringing trusted information to audiences in wartime.
Storytelling for impact: Navrangi returns in a colourful second seriesBBC Media Action’s one-of-a-kind drama which examines sanitation issues alongside other life and love in the neighbourhood – has launched on YouTube.
Saving for a brighter future - aged 13 and against the oddsWe met Aminata Tholley in Freetown, Sierra Leone during the production of our radio programme Wae Gyal Pikin Tinap (When a Girl Child Stands). She told us how she saved half of the money she earned by begging on the streets, and used the other half to start a business when she was just 13 years-old.
Our global response to COVID-19For more than 20 years, BBC Media Action has provided vital health information to vulnerable people around the world, and helped them cope in moments of crisis. We are responding now to the COVID-19 pandemic with creative communication.
A journey towards viable and trusted public interest media in Sierra LeoneSierra Leone has unveiled a National Action Plan to create more viable public interest media – our country director examines their journey so far, and what must happen to succeed.
Developing media after civil war in South Sudan Our training coordinator, Garang Abraham Malak, talks of how BBC Media Action's Life in Lulu project is working to support South Sudan's media.
World Press Freedom Day 2022 - a panel eventAmid a general global decline in media freedom, our session at the Unesco World Press Freedom Day conference explored whether Sierra Leone serves as a glimmer of hope. Check out our panellists and research.
Breaking the bias around the worldMeet 12 women and girls who are making a difference in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Georgia, Kenya, Libya, Myanmar, Nepal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Ukraine.
'...and Action!' How media can address climate change in countries most affectedOur policy note demonstrates how donors, policymakers and climate experts can enhance the impact of their climate change plans and strategies by leveraging the power of media and communication.
How a radio show sparks discussion and support for girls’ learning in Sierra LeoneResearch findings show parents and adolescent girls feel more open to discussion and better equipped to make safe and positive choices, around sex, relationships, and issues in general, after listening to our radio show.
The role of communication in supporting young Ethiopians to succeed in employmentOur five research briefings sought to better understand young people in Ethiopia, and looked at the role of media and communication in supporting young people to realise their aspirations, succeed in employment, and lead healthy, active lives.
Perugia Declaration for UkraineWe stand in solidarity with public interest media and journalists covering the war in Ukraine. Read the Perugia declaration (leads to a third party site).
Our promise on equity, diversity and inclusionOur CEO and our Chair write about our ambitious goals on equity, diversity and inclusion.
Online violence against women and girls in Nepal: what we have learnedCases of online abuse against women and girls have spiked in recent years. However, the legal and policy initiatives to address it do not seem to delve deep enough into the grave and changing dynamics of online violence in Nepal, or how this perpetuates gender-based violence in the offline world.
How can digital technology empower women without worsening inequality?Our India digital director Sara Chamberlain examines how to harness digital technologies for greater economic opportunity for women - without making existing inequalities and power imbalances worse.
Disability is not ‘inability’: girls making waves in Sierra LeoneOur senior producer describes inviting the inspirational Madi Sefoi onto radio programme Wae Gyal Pikin Timap (When a Girl Child Stands) to tell her story and help shine light on the issues and solutions for other girls who are out of school across the country.
Digital media for young people in Myanmar – breaking taboos and discussing reproductive healthResearch found that young people are highly engaged with our digital content, Ma Shet Ne (Don’t be shy!), designed to support young people living in Yangon to access quality information and understand their rights and responsibilities in relationships and sexual health.
NEW ONLINE COURSE - Effective climate reporting Check out our brand-new, free Massive Open Online Course for journalists for more effective climate reporting, informed by our work in East Africa.
The struggle to remain independent - Georgia's NetgazetiOver the last decade, Netgazeti.ge, an online news portal in Tbilisi, has covered conflict, political turmoil and COVID-19, in a challenging environment.
'It was as if the moon had landed on the Earth' - working through turmoil in AfghanistanOur Afghanistan country director, Shoaib Sharifi, is BBC News' Leader of the Year. Read his blog to learn about the complexities of working through a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Living Climate Change: six unheard storiesOur new short film series shares first-person accounts from Bangladesh, Kenya and Nepal, demonstrating how climate change is already disrupting lives, livelihoods and health.
