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Updated January 31st, 2022 at 14:33 IST

Afghanistan: Women's presence in journalism declines by 50% under Taliban, reveals data

The number of women journalists in Afghanistan has declined by 50% after media outlets were downsized since the Taliban reconquered Afghanistan in August 2021.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Afghanistan
Image: AP | Image:self
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The number of women journalists in Afghanistan has declined by 50% after media outlets were downsized since the Taliban reconquered Afghanistan in August 2021, revealed data from at least 15 Afghan media outlets. Some of the major news outlets were found to have carried out significant downsizing of women staff members. The information was also collected over the telephone from officials and workers from the organisations in the war-ravaged nation.

Pajhwok Afghan News combined data over the past 20 days from 15 print as well as electronic media outlets including Aryana TV, Zhwandoon TV, Tamadon TV, Aryana News, Aina TV, Arzo TV, Noor TV, China Centre, Rahi Farda TV, Ghazal TV, Aryana Radio, Sar Ahang, Ghazal, Daily Anis and Paik-i-Aftab News Agency. The data also stated that Peshgam and Rah-i-Farda TV channels were the pens that carried out major downsizing of women staff members. While there were at least 15 female staffers who worked for Peshgam TV, there are no female journalists in the organisation now.

According to Pajhwok Afghan News, a reporter with Paik-i-Aftab News Agency, Zahra Nawa complained about the blatant injustice and discrimination towards females in the media industry under the Taliban leadership. According to the report, she also said that Paik-i-Aftab had started functioning after the extremists took over the nation and the former government toppled. 

Initially, 11 female employees worked for it but in a period of five months, most of the female workers resigned from their jobs due to restrictions in the Taliban-ruled nation as well as insecurity. Now, as per the report, only four women journalists are working in the said organisation. Nawa has called on the interim government to respect the right of free speech and avoid violating the right of access to information from journalists.

According to the report, she urged the Taliban-led administration to permit the female media workers to work freely and disseminate facts to the rest of the country. Waheed Naweesa, Assistant Director of Peshgam TV News Department, reportedly said that there were reasons for the departure of female journalists. He informed how some of the families did not let their female members go out as the Taliban marched on the streets and added that economic constraints after the failure of the previous government were also an additional reason. 

It is pertinent to note that Daily Anis is one of the very few media outlets that have not observed any change in the number of working female journalists. While earlier there were two women working for the newspaper, they are still associated with the same. However, Zarbi noted that the job had been converted to a weekly due to financial problems of the outlet. 

RSF data reveals 80% women lost jobs in media

Hujatullah Mujaddedi, Executive Director of the Free Journalists Association of Afghanistan, according to the report, said that the data collected by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) revealed that under the Taliban’s government, over 40% of media outlets were shut down and 80% women journalists lost their jobs. The closures of media outlets caused a significant impact on the women journalists’ work. 

Mujaddedi reportedly said that 410 female media workers were presently active in Afghanistan as compared to 2,490 before the Taliban took over. Out of every five women in Afghanistan, four are unemployed, stated ANI. Based on the data, there are no female journalists in at least 15 provinces of the war-torn nation.

(Image: AP)

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Published January 31st, 2022 at 14:33 IST

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