Afghanistan: CFWIJ Urges Taliban To Permit Women-led Broadcaster To Resume Operations
Location: Afghanistan, Fayzabad
Date: March 31, 2023
Najia Sorosh of Sadai Banowan radio station, left, speaks into a microphone in the broadcasting studio in Badakhshan province [File: Courtesy of Sadai Banowan via AP]
Taliban shuts down women-led broadcaster Radio Sadai Banowan in retaliation for airing educational programs. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the repression of women journalists and demands the Taliban cease its crackdown on freedom of expression.
On Thursday, March 30, Taliban authorities raided women-led broadcaster Radio Sadai Banowan shutting down its operations. According to a Taliban official, they closed the station for violating playing music during Ramadan.
Station head Najia Sorosh denied the allegations and called it a conspiracy. The Taliban "told us that you have broadcast music. We have not broadcast any kind of music," Sorosh told the Associated Press.
Radio Sadai Banowan, which means "women's voice" in Dari, was established in 2014. An employee of the radio station — who spoke to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on the condition of anonymity — the Taliban’s decision was retaliation for the station’s programs primarily focusing on women’s education and job opportunities in Badakhshan.
Sadai Banowan staff have contacted the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture and Directorate of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, a governmental agency directly associated with the council of ministers, but were not given any additional information regarding the closing of the media outlet's activities.
The provincial officials told TOLOnews that they had warned the radio station previously.
"Radio Banowan was closed because of broadcasting music, particularly in Ramadan, which is also a violation of publishing policies of the Islamic Emirate," said Hekmatullah Mohammadi, head of the provincial Department of Information and Culture.
The Taliban have restricted women from employment and education, including university. Restrictions on women’s rights, media freedom, and freedom of expression increased exponentially after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Many women journalists lost their jobs. Media outlets closed over lack of funds or because staff fled the country.
Women journalists in Afghanistan continue to play a critical role in a country that has seen extreme political instability in recent years, despite a direct threat to their life. Afghanistan remains one of the most dangerous places for women journalists to operate.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism vehemently denounces the arbitrary closing of Sadai Banowan. Taliban authorities must stop suppressing local media and immediately grant the women-led radio station permission to resume its operations.
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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