Women’s rights in Afghanistan
Taliban prohibit journalists from having contact with girls
February 25, 2024, 3:35 p.m
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The Afghan Journalists Association reports further restrictions. The Taliban prohibit journalists from having any contact with girls in the east of the country. Since coming to power in the summer of 2021, the Islamists have massively restricted the rights of women and journalists.
According to an organization, the Taliban ruling Afghanistan have banned media in the east of the country from having contact with girls. The authorities cited violations of Islamic values as the reason, as the Afghan journalists’ association AFJC reported.
The Taliban accuse the radio stations and television channels in the eastern province of Khost of spreading immoral content. This was justified by allegedly illegally contacting girls by telephone. According to the AFJC, the stations had also broadcast educational programs, but according to a spokeswoman for the journalists’ association, they do not have to adapt their content.
After the Taliban came to power in the summer of 2021, the Islamists drastically restricted human and women’s rights. Girls are only allowed to attend schools up to and including the sixth grade. The ban on education has also been heavily criticized internationally. Since then, some Afghan women have been taught in secret or learn through educational programs on television, radio or the Internet.
Freedom of the press was also drastically restricted under the Taliban. Journalists left the country in droves, which was known for its thriving media landscape even during the war. According to estimates by the organization “Reporters Without Borders”, around 80 percent of local journalists have stopped working.