UN: 80% of Female Afghan Journalists Forced to Abandon Jobs
In a concerning development, the UN Women’s Division has announced that a staggering 80% of female journalists in Afghanistan have been forced to abandon their jobs due to a raft of restrictions, harassment, and fears under the Taliban’s repressive regime, Khamaa Press reported yesterday.
The announcement, made on World Press Freedom Day, saw the UN organization express its unwavering support for the beleaguered female journalists courageously fighting for women’s rights and gender equality in the country.
The UN Women’s Division took to social media to declare, “On World Press Freedom Day and every other day, we stand with media initiatives and female journalists.”
According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center, the Taliban have issued at least 17 directives since seizing power in August 2021, significantly curtailing press freedoms. These measures include banning women from working in national radio and television, prohibiting coverage of protests and civil unrest, and mandating female journalists cover their faces.
The dire situation has been reflected in Reporters Without Borders’ latest global press freedom rankings, which have seen Afghanistan plummet from 152nd to 178th place, cementing its status as one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalism. The UN’s condemnation of the Taliban’s crackdown serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to protect the rights and safety of female media workers in Afghanistan.
