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Women and media in Afghanistan

How to support female media workers in a challenging landscape

My interest in journalism drives me to overcome all restrictions and keep working, as well as to lift the voices of people, especially women."
— Female media worker, Takhar

Since August 2021 when the Taliban (referred to in this report as the de facto authorities or the DFA) returned to power, they have issued decrees that restrict women’s movement, education and work. Unsurprisingly, the media landscape in Afghanistan has undergone significant changes since then, with huge implications for both female audiences and female media workers.

We conducted research with men and women across Afghanistan, with the aim to better understand the evolving media landscape in Afghanistan, to inform strategies to support female media workers and meet female audience members’ needs.

Our study found:

Women in Afghanistan continue to have less access to information than men, particularly through TV and the internet. At least 33% of women (more in rural areas) rely on family as a key source of information, while men prioritise other information sources. Yet Afghan women’s information needs have never been more pronounced – due to restrictions on their activities, many are confined to their homes.

Now women are in the confines of their homes… The virtual space is the only window for us to learn about what is happening."
— Woman interviewed in Herat Province

Over half (54%) of the people we spoke to said they would support a female relative to work as a journalist.

However while 89% of people agree that women should work in the media sector, female media workers report negative attitudes towards them from people in their communities, particularly in some regions.

Read the full research findings and our recommendations in the document above.

This work was funded by U.S. Mission to Afghanistan.  

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