Baharan Lahib

Balkh_ The situation of women under Taliban rule is worsening day by day. Even women who have managed to work in government offices or official institutions face increasingly difficult conditions. In this context, women working in dangerous professions such as journalism are subjected to an even higher level of repression.

In 2022, coinciding with National Journalists’ Day, the “ Afghanistan Journalists Freedom Observatory” announced that 70% of journalists live in poverty, with female journalists being the most affected. The organization also added that in 15 provinces of the country, no woman works in journalism.

Also, the International Federation of Journalists announced on the Internatiional Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 2025 that with the Taliban’s return to power, 60% of female journalists lost their jobs, while 78% face gender-based discrimination.

In a related context, the Freedom of Speech Center reported on March 9, 2026, regarding the situation of female journalists that 86% of them have lost their jobs. According to the center’s findings, only 190 female journalists continue to work across Afghanistan, whereas before Taliban rule, their number exceeded 2,000 female journalists in the media.

Regarding available reports on the situation of male and female journalists and Taliban directives and regulations, journalist Nafisa Saba from Afghanistan, one of the female journalists working in the media, shared her experience gate they would inform me that the Ministry for the Taliban government, but at the entrance gate they would inform me that the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice doesn’t allow me entry, simply because I am a Woman. Many Taliban members refuse to speak with or interview a female journalist. Even when l went several times accompanied by a male cilleague, they still refused to conduct the interview, and the reason was my presence. This situation has also affected people’s behavior: when I go into the city, I face heavy, questioning looks from  others.

She adds about the security situation for journalists: "One day when I went to cover women's protests, the Taliban realized I was preparing a report. Before my eyes, they arrested several journalists and took them away. My home was also under surveillance for months until I was forced to change my residence. I have heard from many journalists that if a question considered offensive to the Taliban is asked during an interview, they immediately threaten the journalist or exert severe pressure to force them to leave their job."

Our speaker pointed to the restrictions and escalating threats against female journalists: "The conditions created by the Taliban for journalists, especially female journalists, have led to a large number of them losing their jobs or receiving lower salaries than men. If any media outlet needs to hire, it prefers to hire a man instead of a woman. Under such circumstances, self-censorship, gender-based discrimination, and repression are indirectly reinforced."

Nafisa Saba warns about the future of female journalists, saying: "If this systematic repression continues, there is a fear that one day it will be announced that no woman has the right to work in the media. Women have already been banned from working in many government and non-governmental offices and even UN offices in Afghanistan. It is very easy for them to completely close the media field to women. My wish is for this system to disappear before we reach such a situation."

Overall, what the testimonies and statistics reveal points to an alarming trend of the gradual exclusion of women from the media field in Afghanistan. This path not only limits society's access to diverse and independent narratives but also places the future of women's presence in the media sector under serious threat. As this situation continues, the risk of silencing female journalists' voices grows more than ever.