Less than 10% women journalists left working in Afghanistan since Taliban takeover: Advocacy group

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan now has only 190 women journalists working in the country, down from over 2,000 before the Taliban takeover in August 2021, which is less than 10%, the Free Speech Centre reported.

In a post on Facebook, the press freedom advocacy group wrote that since the interim government returned to power, authorities have imposed detentions, physical assaults, and severe limits on women’s reporting.

Many women journalists have been threatened or imprisoned, it said.

Around 86% of Afghan women journalists have lost their jobs or cannot work freely. In roughly 20 provinces, no female journalists remain.

Some reporters work anonymously or publish without bylines to avoid retaliation. Others rely on remote reporting for exile-based media organizations.

The group also raised concerns about Afghan journalists living abroad amid recent conflicts involving Iran and the United States, citing detention risks.

Despite the challenges, Afghan women journalists in exile continue reporting, amplifying voices silenced inside Afghanistan, the Free Speech Centre said.