Afghanistan: CFWIJ Calls on Taliban To Lift Restrictions On News Media Operations, Condemns Ban On BBC, DW, VOA Broadcasts

Location: Afghanistan, Kabul
Date: March 29, 2022

In a fresh wave of violations against press freedom, the Taliban government has hit international media outlets with broadcast bans. Despite Taliban promises to respect press freedom and women’s rights, the group has severely restricted the space for both in Afghanistan. The Coalition For Women In Journalism stresses that such policies disproportionately impact women in the news media industry. We call on the Taliban to allow the press to report freely in safe working conditions and lift the restrictions imposed on broadcast of local and foreign media. 

On March 27, 2022, the Taliban government banned local news outlets from airing Pashto, Persian and Uzbek programming from international media organizations including  British public broadcaster BBC, German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) and the US Congress-funded broadcaster Voice of America (VOA). 

According to DW’s Afghan service, some DW programming will not be rebroadcast by local partners. Namely, the German broadcaster’s political talk show “Aashti” in Dari, and in Pashto on local partner Tolo News, and science programs broadcast on Ariana TV and Shamshad, have been affected.

The BBC has issued a similar statement announcing that news bulletins by the service in Pashto, Persian and Uzek, have been taken off air. 

"This is a worrying development at a time of uncertainty and turbulence for the people of Afghanistan. More than six million Afghans consume the BBC's independent and impartial journalism on TV every week and it is crucial they are not denied access to it in the future. We call on the Taliban to reverse their decision and allow our TV partners to return the BBC's news bulletins to their airwaves immediately," stated the British broadcaster on Twitter. 

Statement on BBC News bulletins in #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/FNrceErD0t

— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) March 27, 2022

Meanwhile, VOA, which produces a half-hour news segment in Pashto and Dari, five days a week for Tolo News and Shamshad TV, also called on the Taliban to reconsider this decision. “The content restrictions that the Taliban are attempting to impose are antithetical to freedom of expression that the people of Afghanistan deserve,” said VOA Acting Director Yolanda Lόpez, in a statement published on the outlet’s website. 

Despite claims otherwise, the Taliban have continued to restrict space for the independent press in the country and have denied women access to professional and public lives. According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association, almost half of the media outlets in the country have ceased operations since August 2021. The AFJC reports, some 224 TV channels, radio stations, news websites, print publications and other media outlets have shut operations given the increasing restrictions and lack of funding. An additional 30% of the country’s media outlets stand at the brink of collapse, with limited daily or weekly operations at present.

Yet, the crackdown on journalists in the country continues. Latest cases include the arrests of Salam Watandar reporter Sarwar Hashemi in Kabul, and Zma radio news manager Mirwais Atal in Kandahar on March 26, over the coverage of protests against restrictions to girls’ access to schools. Prior to that, on March 18, three employees of Tolo News were arrested after the independent television network shared news regarding the prohibition of airing foreign drama series. 

The heavy handed media policies of the Taliban government have a disproportionate impact on women journalists. A survey by Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) and the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists (CPAWJ) in December 2021 found that over 250 media outlets shut down operations in four months. Around 700 women journalists were working in the capital Kabul alone in 2020 but fewer than 100 remained active in the profession by December 2021.

It is evident that the recent bans will further restrict women’s access to the news media industry and deter both local and foreign women journalists from continuing in the field. The suspension of foreign media content’s broadcast will only further hinder local news operations and reduce the limited options available for women journalists. We call on the Taliban to live up to their promises of upholding press freedom and respecting women’s rights.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism has closely followed the impact of the US withdrawal and the Taliban takeover on the lives of women journalists, a group marginalized by both their gender and profession by all parties to the conflict. In 2021, we recorded the deaths of nine women journalists around the world and the highest number of female media workers, four, were killed in Afghanistan. Despite restricted access to public and professional lives, women journalists continue to play an immensely important role in the country which has seen extreme political instability in recent years. For this reason, they face threats to their lives from various political and militant actors on the daily causing several to leave the country. In times like these, it becomes the moral duty of international watchdogs and those in power to amplify their voices. The empowerment of Afghan women relies on alliance, not invasion. Since August 2021, the CFWIJ evacuated over 320 journalists, activists, women rights advocates, and others at risk in Afghanistan. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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