Only 500 Female Journalists Work in Afghan Media Sector, Says EU Member of Parliament

Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament, who visited Kabul recently, said that only 500 female journalists work in the Afghan media sector. Neumann added that earlier around 2,800 women and girls worked as journalists in Afghanistan.

The European Parliament member criticised that the Taliban continues to harass female media workers and has imposed severe restrictions on female journalists in the country.

Neumann added that the Taliban continues to press women to wear masks during TV appearances and said that female journalists are only allowed to interview women for TV and radio programmes.

However, according to Neumann, male Taliban intelligence operatives occasionally call female reporters, question them, and intimidate and harass them.

With the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021, the group has imposed many restrictions on media operations and has pressurised female journalists to stop working in Afghan media sector.