Radio Begum offers a rare public space for women in Afghanistan, where restrictive laws make it difficult for women to move freely in the city. Station founder Hamida Aman explained that female journalists must navigate complex restrictions just to reach the studio, where they prepare and broadcast their programs. Despite these challenges, the station continues to operate with a team of around 30 women, broadcasting to most of the country, except for provinces where authorities have banned women’s voices in media. In a media landscape dominated by men, Radio Begum’s broadcasts stand out as a “glimmer of hope in the darkness.”
Launched in March 2021, just months before the Taliban’s return to power, Radio Begum initially focused on music, entertainment, and interviews highlighting the achievements of Afghan women. After the Taliban takeover, the station quickly adapted to new restrictions, scaling back entertainment and avoiding political content to remain operational. Female journalists now face strict rules, including interviewing only women and not being alone in a studio with a man. Despite these limitations, the station has gradually shifted toward education, broadcasting six hours of daily programming based on the Afghan school curriculum in Dari and Pashto. This became especially important after schools closed to teenage girls, allowing Radio Begum to bring education into homes.
The station also addresses women’s health, psychological support, spirituality, entrepreneurship, and social issues such as addiction. Most programs are broadcast live, enabling listeners to call in and engage directly with the hosts. Radio Begum has uniquely promoted women’s rights through Islamic teachings, using Qur’anic verses, surahs, and hadiths to inform women about their rights in areas such as inheritance, divorce, widowhood, and education. This approach has proven effective, and the religious program has become one of the station’s most popular broadcasts, even receiving praise from authorities.
Listeners report tangible impacts from the programming, with some women asserting their inheritance rights or influencing positive changes in their family dynamics. These testimonies encourage the station and highlight its role as a crucial support system for Afghan women. Despite ongoing constraints, Radio Begum continues to provide a vital space for expression, education, and empowerment, stepping in to meet needs that the current government has largely ignored. In a country where women are increasingly excluded from public life, Radio Begum remains a rare platform where women can still be heard.
