RASC News Agency: Over the past three years, the Taliban has systematically enforced stringent restrictions on media operations and female journalists in Afghanistan. Women working in journalism report that these measures have significantly obstructed their ability to continue their careers in domestic media outlets. They cite various methods of being denied access to information, which have forced many to abandon their professions. These journalists also criticize both domestic and international media support organizations for their insufficient assistance and lack of advocacy.
Numerous female journalists reveal that the Taliban has explicitly barred them from attending press conferences, stating there is no place for women in such events. Expressing profound concern over the deliberate and systematic barriers to accessing information, they assert that these restrictions are designed to marginalize them and drive them out of the journalism profession altogether. Several reporters complain of indirect censorship, noting that the Taliban has made working conditions increasingly untenable for women in media. They allege that these escalating constraints are part of an intentional campaign to erase women from the public sphere of journalism, forcing them into domestic seclusion. According to these journalists, the Taliban refuses to collaborate with them and, in most cases, declines interviews with female reporters.
Some female journalists disclose that the Taliban explicitly mentions in official press invitations that there is no place for women journalists, warning them against attending. Mahbuba (a pseudonym), a female journalist, told Etemaad Daily that the Taliban’s mounting restrictions have rendered it nearly impossible for women to work in the media or access information. She noted that the Taliban’s exclusion of women from press conferences is a clear continuation of their systematic efforts to erase women from media and public discourse. Mahbuba added that, in rare instances where female journalists are permitted to attend events, they are prohibited from asking questions due to concerns about their faces appearing on television screens. Reporters also share that when conducting street interviews with ordinary citizens, they must notify the Taliban’s local authorities in advance. Failure to do so risks severe repercussions, including physical harassment and damage to their equipment.
Another journalist, speaking anonymously, explained: “The Taliban discriminates between male and female journalists, denying women access to critical information. When conducting public interviews, we must secure prior approval from local authorities. Otherwise, we face the risk of violence and destruction of our equipment.” One reporter, who also wished to remain unnamed, added: “Media organizations themselves are struggling. Despite receiving minimal salaries, we continue our work to ensure our voices are not silenced. However, some media outlets have dismissed female journalists or refuse to employ them entirely.”
In the last three years, the Taliban has imposed numerous restrictions on media activities, including banning the publication of images and videos depicting living beings. Their most recent directive converted Afghanistan’s national television broadcasts into “Radio Voice of Sharia.” A recent report by the Afghanistan Journalists Protection Organization highlights the pervasive challenges faced by female journalists in the country. According to the report, Taliban officials frequently withhold information from women journalists. A survey conducted among dozens of female reporters revealed that key Taliban-controlled institutions including security, education, health departments, and the Prime Minister’s Office systematically deny them access to information.
The Taliban’s restrictions over the past three years include banning women from working in national radio and television, prohibiting coverage of protests and civil demonstrations, outlawing the broadcast of music, enforcing rigid dress codes, segregating women’s roles in media organizations, and forbidding interviews between men and women. These oppressive measures underscore a relentless effort to silence women in Afghanistan’s media sector, eliminating their voices from the nation’s information landscape.
