The number of women journalists working in Kabul fell from 700 before the Taliban entered the Afghan capital on August 15, to less than a hundred, said the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday (September 1).
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RSF points in a statement to "
the incidents involving Afghan journalists since the Taliban came to power and the injunctions to respect Islamic laws
" to explain the erasure of women in the media. "
In Kabul, the heads of the private media quickly observed that female reporters were harassed,
" said the organization dedicated to the defense of press freedom, citing in particular the case of Nahid Bashardost, working for an independent press agency , Pajhwok, "
beaten by the Taliban
" during a report near Kabul airport on August 25. Others reported having "
been prevented by the Taliban guards stationed in front of the buildings of their newsroom, from leaving in report
», Adds RSF.
If in the 48 hours following the takeover of the capital by the Taliban, the women reporters of private channels had dared to return to work, "
the illusion did not last
", despite the assurances of the Taliban that the freedom of the press would be respected and that women journalists could work, deplores the organization.
Teleworking as an emergency exit
According to a survey conducted by RSF with the Center for Afghan Women Journalists (CPAWJ), in 2020 there were 108 media outlets in Kabul, employing 1080 women, including 700 journalists. “
Of the 510 women who worked in 8 of the largest media and press groups, only 76 (including 39 journalists) still hold office to this day. In other words, it is a virtual disappearance of women journalists in the capital,
”notes RSF.
Outside Kabul, the same scenario is observed: “
In the provinces where almost all the private media have ceased their activities as the Taliban troops advance, most women journalists have been forced to leave. cease their professional activity
”, according to the same source.
Only "
a handful of them continue, as best they can, to do their job from their home
", says the organization which calls on the Taliban "
to provide immediate guarantees for their freedom and security
".
Read also The blurred outlines of a "safe zone" in Kabul
According to UNESCO, in 2020, Afghanistan had 1,741 women among its media professionals, including 1,139 journalists. But between September 2020 and February 2021, nearly one in five women journalists had already left the profession, "
because of violence and permanent threats
".
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