Female journalists in Afghanistan’s Farah province made a fervent plea for the restoration of media operations that had been suspended ever since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US Forces in August of last year.
At a gathering in the province of Farah, female journalists asked Taliban authorities to continue their media operations.
“Women have not been allowed to continue their activities one hundred per cent up to this point, but they have said they will allow them. We will be happy if they allow us and truly abide by their promises,” media quoted Marzia Noorzai, a journalist as saying.
The officials of Naw-e-Zan radio claimed that they need financial support in addition to authorization for media operations in order to continue their media operations. In the war-torn country, many media outlets have closed as a result of a lack of funding and the Taliban’s tight press regulations.
“Life safety is really essential, but so is financial support. We ask the Islamic Emirate to please allow women to work,” said Homaira Mohammadi, Naw-e-Zan radio’s director.
The media is supported, according to representatives of Farah’s department of information and culture.
Many changes in the way institutions functioned over the previous 20 years were brought about by the Taliban taking over from a government that the west had supported.
The Afghan Diaspora Network claims that many media figures who were unaccustomed to working under the Taliban regime migrated to neighbouring or western countries.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported early in November that at least 200 journalists had their human rights violated as a result of the sharp increase in crimes against journalists in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country.
Taking to Twitter, UNAMA said, “Human rights abuses of more than 200 reporters in Afghanistan recorded by UNAMA since August 2021. Record high numbers include arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment, threats and intimidation.”
Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in the middle of August of last year, they have reversed advancements in women’s rights and media freedom, reversing the country’s efforts to promote gender equality and freedom of speech.
The South Asian Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) said that since the terrorist group seized power, over 45% of journalists have left their jobs. With the United Nations (UN) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemning the arrests and calling on the Taliban to stop intimidating local journalists and stifling freedom of speech through ongoing detentions and threats, the ever-increasing restrictions against the media in Afghanistan have also drawn widespread criticism on a global scale.
The Taliban promised women’s rights, media freedom, and amnesty for government employees in their first press conference after seizing power in August. However, a number of people continue to face reprisal, including journalists, activists, and former government employees.