Several women journalists in Afghanistan have expressed serious concern over rising unemployment and worsening job-related hardships. They say the Taliban, by imposing restrictions and enforcing strict regulations on media outlets and journalists, have sharply reduced employment opportunities and transformed Afghanistan into one of the worst countries for journalistic and media activity. They add that some institutions, fearing Taliban reprisals, refrain from hiring women. Women journalists emphasize that unemployment has forced many of them to leave the profession and take unrelated jobs with very low pay. They warn that under Taliban rule, there is no hope for improvement, and if the current trend continues, freedom of expression will be completely eradicated, leaving the new generation of journalists, especially women, with no chance to return to the profession.
Some women journalists told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that following the Taliban’s takeover and the tightening of media restrictions, job opportunities have declined sharply. They stress that some institutions, out of fear of this group and to avoid disruptions to their activities, also avoid hiring women in the media sector.
Zarina Azizi (pseudonym), one of the journalists, says job opportunities for journalists have become extremely limited. She says the Taliban, by imposing strict regulations on media outlets and women journalists, has significantly reduced these opportunities.
She adds: “Overall, the situation for journalists, especially women and girls, is extremely difficult at present. The Taliban have imposed many restrictions, and strict rules exist in every media and non-media institution. Women are treated like firewood; when pressure falls on institutions, women are the first to be dismissed. This is exactly what happened where I worked. They took this action without regard for gender equality, which should be observed in every office and institution. In general, all institutions resort to such measures because they do not want to face problems in the future due to the presence of women in their offices or have their work disrupted.”
Jawida Rahimi (pseudonym), another woman journalist, also expresses concern and describes the current conditions for journalists in Afghanistan as difficult. She says unemployment, discrimination, and the exclusion of women from society have increased in an unprecedented manner, causing her severe psychological distress. She adds that she is exhausted by the current situation and the constant repetition of discrimination.
Rahimi says: “I applied for a job at an institution that needed a journalist for its social media management section. They initially accepted me, but later called back and said that due to certain conditions, they could not hire women, and apologized. After hearing this, I became very upset, and such experiences naturally have a deep impact on a person. When someone constantly faces discrimination, they collapse psychologically from within.”
Zubaida, another journalism graduate, says with deep regret that three years have passed since her graduation, but due to the increasing restrictions imposed by the Taliban, she has been unable to work in the field. She says she studied journalism to be the voice of women and girls, but now, along with her own voice, the voices of thousands of other women and girls like her have been silenced and need the attention of the global community and international institutions.
She adds, “I studied journalism to be the voice of the people, the nation, and the women of Afghanistan. But not only was I unable to work in this field, but I was also deprived of all my human rights. Afghanistan has now become one of the worst countries for journalism and media activity.”
Marjan Siddiqi (pseudonym), another journalist, says that despite more than seven years of work experience, she became unemployed because of restrictions and the slowdown or suspension of operations at some media outlets. Expressing despair, she says she cannot hope for improvement under Taliban rule. According to her, journalists are currently living in unfavorable and chaotic conditions.
She stresses: “As long as the Taliban remain in power, there is no clear path forward, and conditions will only worsen. At present, only a very small percentage of women journalists are employed, while the rest are either unemployed or working in jobs unrelated to their profession for the lowest possible wages. This group has shut down many media outlets, detains journalists, and freedom of expression is in a very dire state. Many domestic media outlets have also turned into platforms for this group and cannot operate contrary to the policies and conditions imposed by the Taliban.”
Laila Azimi (pseudonym), another journalist like Marjan and Jawida, also speaks about the unprecedented decline in job opportunities for women journalists. She stresses that this situation is largely the result of security pressures, restrictions on news coverage, and fear of Taliban reprisals. Azimi says these limitations forced her to step away from journalism and enter the field of graphic design.
She adds: “With the continuation of the current restrictions and pressures on the media and journalists, there is a fear that freedom of expression will be eliminated and the new generation of journalists, especially women, will no longer have any hope of returning to this profession.”
Azimi says: “The day I realized I could no longer freely prepare reports or return to the media office, I felt as if all my efforts and dreams collapsed at once. The job market has become extremely limited. For women, opportunities have been reduced to almost nothing, and media outlets operate with fear and caution. After the restrictions, I was forced to distance myself from journalism and turn to graphic design. Although graphic design is difficult work, I chose this path because I could work from home, and it was not entirely disconnected from media work.”
Meanwhile, Hamed Obaidi, head of the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO), has described the current state of the media in the country as critical and has expressed concern over the Taliban’s restrictions and intense monitoring of the media.
After seizing control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have systematically removed women from society by imposing restrictions on employment and education. The group also exerts extensive pressure on media outlets and journalists, steers domestic media content in line with its own policies, and blocks the publication of material that contradicts its ideology and policies.
The group has also intensified pressure on women active in the media. It has made covering women’s faces mandatory and silenced their voices during press conferences. In addition, many women are barred from participating in these conferences altogether.
Previously, the Afghanistan Journalists Center reported that in the first six months of 2025, at least 140 cases of violations against media freedom and journalists were recorded in Afghanistan. The figures show a roughly 56 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that from 15 August 2021 to 30 September 2024, the Taliban detained and tortured journalists at least 256 times without cause.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
زنان خبرنگار وکاهش فرصتهای شغلی؛ رسانهها از ترس طالبان از جذب آنان خودداری میکنند
