Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: The Center for Protection of Afghan Women Journalists (CPAWJ) says they have received and registered more than 100 cases of violence against women journalists in the past one year in 20 provinces.
Journalism is a risky job in Afghanistan, but it is believed to be more difficult and dangerous for women.
Hassina Azimi, journalist in the western Herat province and Sonya Akbari who is engaged in journalism in Kabul, says that increased insecurity and the Corona virus pandemic have made journalism more dangerous for them.
“Violence is now in different type which targets more women especially women journalists. This is a matter for concern. This is worrying us to think if we do not have our colleagues with us anymore,” they said Wednesday.
“We are worried as journalists particularly women journalists are targeted and killed every day. This creates a suffocating job space.”
The CPAWJ called security threats, targeted killings, virus pandemic and ambiguity in peace negotiations as the major reasons to affect the lives of journalists especially women journalists.
Farida Nekzad, Director of the Center for Protection of Afghan Women Journalists, said that 10 women journalists left provinces and came to Kabul because of insecurity, while 10 women journalists fled the country.
“Four women journalists were killed in the past three months. What can be its messages? We lost other journalists too. Unfortunately, this year (the outgoing Persian Year) was full of violence and challenge. More than 100 cases of violence against women journalists were registered, 21 of them were registered in the Center,” Mrs. Nekzad said.
She criticized that women journalists’ killing were not investigated properly, urging the punishment of the perpetrators of these terrors.
“We have assessed all cases of journalists’ killing, while a few of them are under investigation. The perpetrators have not been arrested yet,” said Tareq Aryan, spokesman of the interior ministry.
20 per cent of women journalists who were sent to long-term of unpaid leave due to the COVID pandemic, are still jobless at home.
11 journalists including four women were killed in the past four months across the country, according to government and media reports.
