Women in media have to struggle with more issues than others. They have to tackle pressures from family and in the workplace, but they have to break through societal boundaries to make their place.
Women in media working in Afghanistan are facing an additional layer of pressure in the form of guidelines ordered by the Taliban. Media reports Taliban have warned of a ban on ‘female media appearance without dress code compliance’.
The Afghanistan Journalists Centre (AFJC) issued a statement in which it said the Taliban have warned if the rules are not followed it may lead to a ban on women working in the media.
The Afghan women’s story needs to be told, which is why the women in the media need to keep working despite the severe pressure. Local media reports that “The Afghanistan Journalist Support Organization disclosed that out of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, there are no female journalists in 19. The organization has estimated the current number of female media employees or journalists active in the media sector.”
The Women’s Media Forum, Pakistan (WMFP) stands in solidarity with its colleagues in Afghanistan. WMFP is a network of women in media across Pakistan. It was developed two years ago under the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) gender work in Pakistan. This network helps to amplify the voices and issues of women in media and acts as a bridge between the unions and press clubs to highlight women in media and begin a conversation with and within unions, press clubs, and media organisations.
The WMFP feels more restrictions on women in the Afghan media could affect the work being done and may lead to the silencing of women’s voices from inside the country.
WMFP believes Afghan women should be allowed to speak and tell their stories. They have been an integral part of Afghan society, and it will be unfortunate to see these brave voices especially women journalists silenced.
