The Afghanistan Media Support Organization, in a newly published report, has revealed that female journalists in Afghanistan are facing increasing threats, with 92 percent of them compelled to alter or censor their reports.
On Monday, September 22 (31 Sonbola), the organization released a report titled *“Resistance of Afghan Women Journalists After the Regime Change”* which examines the situation of female reporters under Taliban rule.
According to the organization’s data, among those still active in journalism after the Taliban takeover, only 6.9 percent of women are allowed to work freely. The majority are working under restrictions or in hiding, while more than two in five have left the profession altogether.
The report highlights that 80 percent of women journalists—four out of every five respondents—said they had not received any form of support over the past year. Nearly half expressed little hope of continuing their work in the coming year, while prospects for women’s return to the media sector remain uncertain.
Respondents reported facing restrictions such as censorship, inability to interview men, the requirement to have a male guardian (mahram), enforcement of compulsory dress codes, and limited access to equipment.
The organization stressed that under Taliban rule, the targeting of female journalists has become a “widespread phenomenon.”
More than half of respondents (55.4 percent) reported receiving personal threats, while 15.8 percent said they were threatened by their own employers. By contrast, only 28.7 percent stated they had not received any threats.
Despite these obstacles, the report notes that many women journalists continue to work quietly and in secrecy—an act the organization describes as “a symbol of their resilience and professional commitment.”
The statistics are based on a survey conducted among 101 female journalists in July and August 2025.
Since seizing power, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on press freedom, forcing many outlets to shut down. In the latest global press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders, Afghanistan ranked 175th.
