Radio station for Afghan women to restart transmissions following Taliban’s removal of ban

An Afghan women’s radio station is set to restart its broadcasts following the Taliban’s decision to lift a suspension linked to supposed cooperation with a foreign television network.

Radio Begum, which began operations on International Women’s Day in March 2021, was launched just five months prior to the Taliban’s takeover during a tumultuous withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.

All content broadcasted by the station is created by Afghan women. The station is associated with Begum TV, a satellite channel based in France, which airs programs that align with the Afghan school curriculum for grades seven through twelve. This is significant as the Taliban have prohibited education for females beyond the sixth grade.

In a statement released late Saturday, the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture indicated that Radio Begum had made repeated requests to resume its activities and that the suspension was revoked after the station provided assurances to officials.

The station committed to broadcast “in line with the principles of journalism and the regulations of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, while also ensuring no violations occur in the future,” according to their statement.

However, the Information Ministry did not clarify what these principles and regulations entail. Radio Begum confirmed that the ministry had officially permitted the resumption of its broadcasts, but did not provide additional information.

Since the Taliban took control, women have been largely excluded from education, many job sectors, and public life. The media landscape has also transformed, with many journalists, particularly women, losing their jobs under the current regime’s stricter regulations.

According to the 2024 press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders, Afghanistan ranks near the bottom at 178 out of 180 nations, a significant drop from its previous position of 152.

The Ministry of Information did not specify the foreign television channel that it claimed had ties to Radio Begum initially. However, their statement on Saturday referred to collaboration with “foreign sanctioned media outlets.”