The Taliban has halted operations at Afghanistan’s sole nationwide women’s radio station following a raid on its facilities on Tuesday, further intensifying the marginalization of women in public life since the group regained control in 2021.
Radio Begum, based in Kabul and operated by women with a focus on educational content for women, reported that officials from the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture restrained its staff during the search of its premises in the capital.
According to a statement from the station, officers confiscated computers, hard drives, files, and phones belonging to Begum staff, including female journalists, and detained two male employees who do not occupy senior management roles.
The ministry subsequently confirmed the suspension of the station, alleging multiple violations of “broadcasting policy and improper use of the station’s license,” which included “the unauthorized provision of content and programming to a foreign-based television channel.”
The specific foreign TV channel was not identified; however, it was stated that the future of the station will be assessed “in due course.”
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an independent organization advocating for rights, criticized the suspension and called for its immediate reversal.
Prior to the ban imposed on Tuesday, Radio Begum aired six hours of educational content daily, along with programs focused on health, psychology, and spirituality aimed at women throughout much of Afghanistan. The station emphasized its role in providing education to Afghan girls and support to Afghan women, asserting that it does not engage in any political activities.
Additionally, its affiliated channels offer online lessons produced in studios located thousands of miles away in Paris. These televised classes encompass a broader range of subjects, facilitating education in a country where girls are prohibited from attending school beyond the sixth grade.
Increasing Control
Since its takeover over three years ago, the Taliban, a radical Islamist group largely unrecognized by the international community, has been intensifying its control over the media landscape.
Initially, the Taliban portrayed itself as more moderate compared to its previous governance of Afghanistan in the 1990s, even asserting that women would have the opportunity to pursue education up to the university level.
However, the situation has deteriorated, with the regime closing secondary schools for girls, prohibiting women from attending universities, and restricting their employment in most sectors, including NGOs and the United Nations. Additionally, women face travel restrictions without a male escort and are barred from public spaces such as parks and gyms.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), last year the Taliban shut down at least 12 media outlets, both public and private, placing Afghanistan at 178 out of 180 countries in its most recent press freedom index.
The Islamist government has also imposed a ban on the public expression of women’s voices, including singing, reciting, or reading aloud, under a stringent set of “vice and virtue” laws, which has further complicated efforts for Radio Begum to connect with its female audience.
