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Summary
The Taliban shut down Afghanistan’s only women’s radio station, citing media violations, amid ongoing repression of free speech and women’s voices.
Taliban has suspended operations at Afghanistan’s only women’s radio station, Radio Begum, after raiding its premises in Kabul on Jan 4, 2025. The Ministry of Information and Culture cited reported violations of media regulations as the reason for the suspension.
According to the Afghan Amu news outlet, officials accused the station of breaching broadcasting rules and airing unauthorised foreign content. They claimed that the station’s license had been misused and stated that the suspension would remain in place pending further investigation, with the possibility of additional legal action.
Founded in 2021, Radio Begum focused on women’s empowerment and education, particularly for girls barred from attending school. The station is affiliated with Begum TV, a Paris-based channel providing educational content.
The raid saw officers from the Taliban’s Information and Culture Ministry searching the station’s premises, restraining staff, and confiscating equipment, including computers, hard drives, files, and phones. The ministry later confirmed the station’s suspension, citing multiple violations, including “the unauthorised provision of content and programming to a foreign-based television channel.” However, it did not specify which channel was involved.
Before the ban, Radio Begum broadcast six hours of educational lessons daily alongside health, psychology, and spiritual programmes for Afghan women. The station emphasised its role in providing education and support to women without engaging in political activities. Its sister channels also offered online lessons from Paris-based studios, covering a broader range of subjects for girls deprived of formal education beyond sixth grade.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an independent press freedom group, condemned the suspension and demanded its immediate reversal. The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) and the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO) also criticised the move, describing it as an attempt to “silence diverse voices” and further restrict the free flow of information.
Since the Taliban took over more than three years ago, Afghan women have faced increasing restrictions. The male tyrannical group has banned girls from secondary school and university, barred women from most jobs and NGOs, imposed travel restrictions requiring male chaperones, and prohibited women from entering public spaces such as parks and gyms.
