Amnesty Feminists Support Afghan Women Journalists

Support Rukhshana Media and its team of journalists, to continue reporting on issues affecting women and girls in Afghanistan

It's been three years since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, introducing devastating restrictions on the rights of women and girls, virtually erasing them from public and social life. Women and girls have been banned from attending secondary school, from working and earning a living, and even from leaving their home without a male chaperone.

After the Taliban took over in August 2021, women and girls immediately took the streets to protest against what they knew was the start to an oppressive regime, but were met with immediate violence. Despite these harsh restrictions and risks, women in and outside of Afghanistan continue to speak out.

Amnesty Feminists are proud to be partnering with Rukhshana Media, to help raise the voices of Afghan women.

Rukhshana Media is an independent news platform that publishes daily reports on issues affecting Afghan women, in both Persian/Dari and English. Zahra Joya, its Editor in Chief, now runs the organization from exile, supported by an all women Board of Trustees, and group of brave and dedicated journalists still based in Afghanistan, the majority of whom are women.

Rukhshana Media reports on topics ranging from child marriage, street harassment, and gender-based violence to economic hardship and social taboos. With a deep understanding of Afghanistan's historical and religio-cultural gender norms, Rukhshana Media focuses on raising awareness and challenging obsolete misogynistic beliefs and systems. Their detailed reporting is essential for enabling the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for human rights abuses affecting both women and all Afghan citizens.

Since it was founded, Rukhshana Media has published dozens of joint reports with major outlets like The Guardian, The Fuller Project, and Time Magazine, and has won at least five international awards. Rukhshana Media face extreme challenges when working in Afghanistan, as women working in independent journalism is now criminialised, and news about women is censored, with the Taliban controlling the media.

After three years of operating in exile, Rukhshana Media lacks long-term financial stability, and urgently needs support to continue its vital ongoing work.

£10 could pay for one day’s fees for a journalist based in Afghanistan

£50 could pay for two days fees for a translator based in Afghanistan

£140 could pay for two weeks fees for a journalist based in Afghanistan

Your donation will be used wherever it's needed most by Rukhshana Media.

Asal*, who was severely beaten by Taliban members for violating the Taliban’s mahram restrictions, told Amnesty International:

“I have a message to my fellow women: you should not give up… We women, we understand each other best, and we should not allow women’s rights to be violated. It’s not only about Afghanistan. Similar things are happening in other parts of the world. It should be a collective fight, and we should all support each other. We need to help each other, educate each other, lift each other up, stand up for each other…

The Taliban think women have no brains, that we are useless, that we are not equal to them. They don’t see us even as humans. That’s why they want to cover our bodies, faces, thoughts, dreams and hopes. They want to eliminate us. When we see that they are doing this, we have to become stronger”

In a society where women’s basic freedoms are punished, Rukhshana Media’s journalists continue to report on the critical issues affecting women’s lives. Your donation will help ensure their voices continue to be heard. Please donate now to support their vital work.

*names have been changed