Taliban reinstates Afghan Women Radio station after brief suspension
Students attend a class on-air at Radio Begum in Kabul on Nov. 28, 2021. (AFP)
Radio Begum, an Afghan women’s radio station, will resume operations after the Taliban lifted its suspension, which was imposed over allegations of providing “unauthorized content” to an overseas TV channel and improperly using its license.
The station, launched on International Women’s Day in March 2021, is entirely run by Afghan women and has been a vital platform for female voices in the country.
In a statement on Saturday, the Taliban’s Information and Culture Ministry said Radio Begum had “repeatedly requested” to restart operations and agreed to comply with the “principles of journalism and the regulations of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”
The station pledged to avoid future violations, though the ministry did not specify what these principles and regulations entail.
Radio Begum’s sister channel, Begum TV, operates from France and broadcasts educational programs covering the Afghan school curriculum from seventh to 12th grade. This is particularly significant as the Taliban have banned education for Afghan women and girls beyond the sixth grade.
The Taliban initially accused Radio Begum of collaborating with an unspecified TV channel but later referenced “foreign sanctioned media outlets” in their statement. The station has not yet commented on the allegations or the conditions for its reinstatement.
