Protect Journalists Under Threat in Afghanistan

Despite the restrictive environment imposed by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan, including a new law on the "Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue," female journalists continue to play a vital role. With Internews' support, they keep women's voices in the spotlight, ensuring that key issues affecting women remain part of the national dialogue, even as media freedoms shrink. 

We support our partners in Afghanistan to produce radio programs addressing critical women’s issues to millions of listeners across the country, covering forced marriages, girls' education, domestic violence, and the psychological impact of restrictions on women. We also provide digital security training, emergency grants for Afghan journalists in exile to support their media work, and tailored digital mentoring and helpdesk services to ensure they can continue reporting in a challenging environment. 

• Since our previous report highlighting our internship program, we’re well underway into launching another round with 5 new interns, offering a vital platform for female journalists to work, share their stories, and elevate the voices of other women through all-ins and interviews with women from various sectors, including officials and activists. 

• We’ve also supported the hiring of 15 female journalists and reporters for women-run provincial radio stations in 11 provinces. These reporters contribute to local news reporting, production, and presentation, focusing on women's issues such as employment, health, education, and business, amplifying women's voices to help foster a more informed and engaged community. 

• We’ve also supported a radio program focused on critical health issues, raising local health concerns from various regions into national discussions. Field reports are woven into broader conversations with expert guests, grounding the program in the lived realities of women across Afghanistan, including stories on malnutrition among pregnant women or premature graying of hair among women in specific communities. 

Internews has been in Afghanistan for two decades, working alongside Afghan journalists, media entrepreneurs, and technologists as they fostered a media sector that, at its height, employed thousands of women, reached every province, and became one of the most trusted institutions in the country. We sincerely thank you for your donations, on behalf of our organization and the journalists serving their communities around the world. It wouldn’t be possible without you.