Two years on from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, which saw the Islamic fundamentalist group sweep back into power, women's rights in the country have been crushed. Afghan women are being exiled from public life: banned from attending university, banned from going to beauty salons, forced to cover their faces, and harshly punished if they protest.
In September 2022, GLAMOUR spoke to Zahra Joya – who founded Rukhshana Media, a news agency which focuses entirely on issues impacting the women of Afghanistan – about how she envisions a better life for the women of Afghanistan.
When Zahra was five-years-old (in the 1990s), the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, severely restricting women's rights in the process, including banning girls' education. Zahra continued to attend school wearing boy's clothing before enrolling as a law student and, eventually, becoming a journalist. Following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Zahra was forced to flee Afghanistan and now lives as a refugee in the UK, managing Rukhshana remotely.
Here, she speaks with GLAMOUR about the challenges of reporting on Afghanistan – and why it's so important that we do.
GLAMOUR: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us today. Can you explain how and why you started Rukhshana Media?
Zahra: I started Rukhshana Media in 2020. At that time, our goal was simple: to give a platform for women in Afghanistan and to give young female journalists a chance. We wanted to share the history of women's lives and experiences in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Afghanistan is a patriarchal society, and women don't have enough time to talk or work together.
We wanted to give Afghan women the time and platform to write about anything they wanted. Our time in Afghanistan was very short. The Taliban took power very quickly, and after that, we've just tried to write for our own freedom. Everything has changed… Right now, we have to work with male and female journalists in Afghanistan to cover all the stories that are happening in Afghan women's lives. We want to record it for history.
We want to inform the world about what is happening in my country.
What is the inspiration for the name Rukhshana Media?
Unfortunately, during the 20 years [before the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan], we lost women to domestic violence, Taliban violence, and because of terrorist violence in the country. Rukhshana was a young woman who tried to flee from a forced marriage. In 2015, the Taliban arrested her and stoned her to death. I talked with her friends and family, and her brother told me that they don't have the opportunity to raise their voices; that they miss her, a lot; and that it's very painful memory for them.
Zohre Esmaeli, 35, was just a child when she fled Afghanistan to seek refuge in Germany. But even she couldn't imagine how much her life was about to change.
What does an average day consist of working in Rukshana Media?
It's difficult to say what a normal day consists of during this time. [After the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan] on 15 August 2021, I have been busy every day. I'm working in exile. My brave colleagues who are on the ground in Afghanistan are in contact with me – we are trying to raise the voice of Afghan women. It is very hard and difficult, but I know this is the time we have to fight.
When I was in Afghanistan before the Taliban took power, we had hope; we wanted to continue our work. But unfortunately, it was very short. It is a high-risk [situation]. My colleagues are facing too many challenges – especially the security problems, but they are brave and they give me hope. They have told me, “We will continue.”
“I pray for Afghan women; that one day they wake up and are free.”
You've said in the past, “Journalism is not a job, it is a responsibility”. Can you tell me more about what that quote means to you?
I believe that journalism is a responsibility, especially at this moment in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan only have the media, and I can't believe how many messages I receive from men, women, and across the country. They are reporting on what's happening in their area – it's heartbreaking.
The people are not able to raise their voices; it is my and other journalists' responsibility to help them. We must raise their voices.
Finally, how would you like to see the world change for women in the future?
I hope that other women and girls across the world never have to experience what Afghan women have. I pray for Afghan women; that one day they wake up and are free. It's difficult right now, every day, they wake up to the reality that they are imprisoned, which is heartbreaking. I hope it ends as soon as possible.
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
