Five years on, women’s voices stay on air

Five years after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, in a studio in Kabul, a group of women journalists are sitting around a microphone, preparing another episode of Rawayat Man (My Story).

That they are still able to do so is something these women do not take for granted. Since 2021, restrictions on women’s education, employment, movement and participation in public life have changed the way women live and work across Afghanistan. For women journalists, the changes have affected how they report, whom they can interview, where they can go and, in some places, whether women can speak on air.

Their programme focuses on the everyday lives of women, and tries to address their needs and concerns: their health, work, education, livelihoods, families and the challenges they face. 

Producing these stories has become increasingly difficult. Still, the programme goes on.

“We are looking for stories that are relevant to our audience and close to their life experiences. We try to be very careful and moderate to avoid sensitivities. It takes a lot of patience and work, but we are continuing,” said a female producer from Kabul.

Delivering what audiences need

For the journalists producing Rawayat Man, finding a story is only the beginning. They have to think carefully about which subjects can be explored, how to approach interviewees and what information will be most useful to women listening from their homes.

The journalists producing this programme received mentorship under BBC Media Action's Brave Media initiative. In one year, we have mentored 48 journalists from 12 radio stations under this project, supporting them through this complicated process. Mentoring helps the producers strengthen their editorial decisions, understand audience needs and turn difficult subjects into informative, engaging radio programmes.

The impact of radio

The impact can be heard not only in the studio, but also in the lives of women listening.

“There are many things we cannot easily ask about or find information on. When I hear women’s experiences and questions discussed on the radio, I feel that these issues are being heard. One day, a woman spoke about not losing hope and explained that even women who stay at home can still earn an income. Her words encouraged me deeply. I learned sewing from a relative, and today my family and I can support ourselves better. Radio programmes like Rawayat Man motivate us to work hard and be useful to our families,” said a female listener from central Afghanistan.

A conversation on the radio can offer an idea. An idea can lead to a new skill. And a skill can create an opportunity to contribute to a family’s livelihood.

For many women, particularly those living in rural and remote communities, radio remains one of the most accessible ways to receive information. It can bring practical conversations about health, education, work and livelihoods into homes where reliable information may otherwise be difficult to obtain.

Five years on, keeping that connection alive matters.

For women in journalism, continuing to produce programmes means maintaining a space for their professional skills and perspectives at a time when opportunities for women in public life have narrowed. 

For women who are listening, it means hearing questions they recognise, experiences they share and information that can help them navigate everyday life.

The work happens quietly: a journalist prepares a question, a producer records a programme, and a woman listens from her home. But five years after Afghanistan’s media landscape changed, those voices are still reaching each other.

One programme at a time, women journalists are ensuring women’s experiences, questions and voices remain on air.

The Brave Media project, co-funded by the European Commission, is a global initiative to enhance the resilience of independent, public interest media in more than 20 countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The project is supporting independent media organisations with learning, collaboration and innovation to help them to respond to rapidly changing political, technological and economic environments. Read more here.