Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Journalism Under Gender Apartheid: An Interview with Malala Yousafzai and Zahra Joya

09/05/2025

At the Frontline Club in London, a venue long associated with media freedom and international reporting, Thomson met with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and Rukhshana Media founder Zahra Joya.

The conversation took place ahead of a panel discussion on the role of Afghan independent media under Taliban rule.

Malala, youve been involved very heavily with Rukhshana Media, and supporting it. What is the importance of the work that is being done by them? Malala: Rukhshana Media is playing a really critical role at this time because we all know that Afghan women are silenced, the journalists are threatened, and especially female journalists are putting their lives at risk by telling the stories of Afghan women and what they are going through in this country. And Rukhshana Media is one of the few platforms that is actually the voice of the Afghan women. Despite the dangers and the threats that they face. So in this moment, its really important for us to amplify their voices because they are bringing attention to the truth, to what is happening on the ground, how womens rights are violated, how women activists are getting imprisoned and getting tortured. And its really putting everything on record and at the same time, bringing attention to exactly what is happening right now.

Zahra, the challenges your journalists face are immense. How are they managing to operate? Zahra: Well, first of all, I would like to say a huge thanks to Malala and the Malala Fund, because they are supporting us and supporting, basically, the female journalists in Afghanistan. So I am working alongside almost 10 journalists on the ground, mostly female. And its really hard to gather information from inside the country, because every single information coming out should be under Taliban control, and it should be first reviewed by the Taliban. But my colleagues, they are working independently, and they are bringing first-hand information from inside. Its really hard. Its a risky job. And basically, my colleagues are taking their lives in their hands to gather information. I think, as Malala mentioned, its important for us to break the silence. Women of Afghanistan are forced to be silent. Its hard, but I think they are very brave, they are courageous, and they are working. I think their work is essential for us at the moment.

The voices of the women of Afghanistan and the voices of women in many other places are not necessarily being heard. Why do you think that is Malala? Malala: Its really frustrating, to be honest, because we have been talking about womens rights for so long. And it happens to be a month in a year and or a day comes in a year where everybodys talking about womans rights and everybody believes in equality. And then when, in reality, womens rights are violated and under a threat, then we witness a silence. So, I believe that in moments like these, we really need to test our true commitment to gender equality and people who are ahead in using the word should also be ahead in taking actions as well. Afghanistan right now is a country where the worst violations of womens rights are happening. Its the only country where girls are banned from secondary education for more than three and a half years. Its the only country where women are denied any public appearance, any political participation, any role in work, they are literally banned. And if they dare to step outside these rules, theyre punished, theyre beaten up, they are threatened. So theyre paying a price for simply daring to have these rights. When I think about what Afghan women and girls are going through right now, it really makes me want to do something for them because I really admire their resilience and how they are doing their activism. So to all our friends, our colleagues who believe in gender equality who are feminists should also join this call and share their solidarity with Afghan women in this most difficult time.

That is such an extreme form of gender oppression that we have to call it a gender apartheid

Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

You both share the phrase gender apartheid'. Its a strong phrase. Why is it gender apartheid? Malala: As the phrase of gender apartheid sounds strong, such is the violation of human rights in Afghanistan. I think words like gender discrimination and gender persecution fall short in explaining the scale of oppression that the Taliban are imposing on women and girls. They have issued more than 100 decrees and edicts, the majority of which are targeting women, limiting them in their work, education, and any appearance in public life. And that is such an extreme form of gender oppression that we have to call it a gender apartheid . The incredible women, the activists, the researchers who actually stepped forward and using this terminology thought about it really carefully. And they have been working together with these human rights experts and activists from South Africa who are also talking about the similarities between the situation that women in South Africa were facing where even they feel like gender was not properly addressed as part of their struggles, as part of their activism, and in this moment there is this sense of sisterhood, where women are feeling that the way that they are oppressed is not recognised in the same way, and we cannot just look away and see it more as a domestic problem, see it more as an internal issue. This should be seen as a global issue. This should be addressed both on moral and on legal international law basis.

The international community has said that the Taliban should look at the way they treat women and should change it. Is that enough? Zahra: No. The way that the Taliban are treating women is so harsh and so brutal. And as Malala mentioned, theres more than 100 decrees on edicts the Taliban issued, and most of them targeted
LINK: http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/latest/journalism-under-gender-aparth...
See more stories from thompsonfoundation

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

05/05/2026

NBC Sports' NBA Playoff Viewership Up 58%

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

U.S. Court Upholds Some Patents in LG ATSC 3.0 Infringement Case

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Gray Media and Allen Media Group Close Station Transactions

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma

Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma Brie Clayton May 4, 2026 0 Comments Digital Domain, a global leader in visual eff...

04/05/2026

just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download!

just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download! More Details:At NAB 2026, ToolsOnAir showcased just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026, ...

04/05/2026

just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS

just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS More Details:The headline innovation in just:in mac pro 2026 is the new Auto format si...

04/05/2026

SVG Sit-Down: NEP Americas Mike Werteen on How Great Tech, Better People Drive Success

Hardware is still an emphasis - Supershooter 11 is new, and REMI-based 65 is in ...

04/05/2026

Beyond 90 Minutes: How K League's Soccer Blueprint for Growth Has Lessons for Everyone

Head of International Business Development Min Joo Kim explores the league's...

04/05/2026

Audio-Technica ATND1061 and ATUC Discussion Systems Certified for Crestron Automate VX

Audio-Technica has announced that its ATND1061 ceiling array microphone and ATUC...

04/05/2026

Triple B Media Launches Bowling TV, a 24/7 FAST Channel Dedicated to Bowling

Triple B Media has launched Bowling TV, a free ad-supported television (FAST) channel dedicated to bowling. The channel is available on Prime Video, LG Channels...

04/05/2026

PlayMetrics Acquires SportsEngine from Versant

PlayMetrics, a provider of operations management software for youth sports organizations, has announced the completion of its acquisition of substantially all t...

04/05/2026

IHSE GmbH Appoints Dr. Thomas Niessen as CEO

IHSE GmbH has announced that Dr. Thomas Niessen has joined as CEO and Managing Director, effective May 1, 2026. He joins Frank Breitenfelder, who has served as ...

04/05/2026

PMY Group Deploys Optic Crowd Intelligence Platform at Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix

PMY Group deployed its AI-powered crowd intelligence platform, Optic, at the For...

04/05/2026

Behind The Mic: Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless to Reunite for First Take Episode; Donna Brothers Worked Final Kentucky Derby

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

04/05/2026

Spotify Brings Fashion and Podcasting Together With Mina Le and Mia Calabrese

Last week, guests gathered in New York City for On Air, In Style: An Evening with Spotify-a night of conversation, culture, and connection celebrating the inter...

04/05/2026

Avid introduce Pro Tools 2026.4

New music & post-production features added Avid's latest DAW update delivers an array of helpful features aimed at both music and post-production users,...

04/05/2026

SAG-AFTRA, Studios Reach Tentative Agreement

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/05/2026

Study: Paramount-WBD Deal Signals New Era of Streaming Scale

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/05/2026

Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin

Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin The New Orleans native, who was named the 2026 student commencement speaker for Boston Conservatory at Berklee, talks about ...

04/05/2026

It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June

It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June 4 May 2026 The ABC and Screen Australia are delighted to announce that brand new preschool series, It's Andr...

03/05/2026

Melbourne Instruments' Nina gains Braids engine

Polysynth now features Mutable Instruments' macro oscillators Melbourne Instruments have just released a free firmware update that brings the engine beh...

03/05/2026

Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective for every user

Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...

03/05/2026

Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective for every user

Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...

03/05/2026

Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless

Back to All News Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless Entertainment 03 May 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Discover the vi...

02/05/2026

Release Rundown: What to Watch in May, From Saccharine to Tuner

(L-R) Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall appear in Tuner by Daniel Roher, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sundance In...

02/05/2026

Warm Audio launch the Reamper

Versatile re-amping tool announced Warm Audio are best known for their recreations of sought-after vintage studio gear, but their latest release brings a ne...

02/05/2026

FCC Releases Tentative Agenda for May Open Meeting

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

Sinclair Remains Bullish on Station M&A

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

NABLF Announces 2026 Broadcast Leadership Training Award Winners

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

Gravity Media Taps Custom Consoles for Work on Production Center

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

May 01, 2026

Scripps Research immunologist Dennis Burton elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences A leader in broadly neutralizing antibodies, Burton has helped driv...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

Ratings Roundup: NBA Playoffs Return to NBC Sports up 38%; NFL Draft Down 12% Overall From 2025

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...

01/05/2026

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing Appoints Will Wright as Chief Operating Officer to Drive Global Growth and Operational Excellence

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing ( BKB ), today announced the appointment of Will Wright ...

01/05/2026

NAB Rewind: Lawo's Andreas Hilmer on the Power of the Edge One AV Stagebox

Lawo has been at the center of the industry's transition to IP and other next-generation technologies. At NAB 2026, its story was the Edge One AV stagebox, ...

01/05/2026

Kentucky Derby 152 to Air Across 19 Networks in 170-Plus Territories

HBA Media, acting on behalf of NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Incorporated, has announced broadcast and streaming distribution for Kentucky Derby 152, taking pl...

01/05/2026

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Barbara Kopple, the Director of American Dream

By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...

01/05/2026

Find Out Which The Devil Wears Prada 2' Character You Are With Our New Playlist

Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. But a playlist that tells you which The Devi...

01/05/2026

Olivia Rodrigo Takes Over FC Barcelona Jersey for El Clsico Match at Spotify Camp Nou

One of the world's biggest popstars is headed to El Cl sico. Later this mont...

01/05/2026

Heritage Audio announce the Baby RAM Black Edition

Limited-edition model celebrates 15th anniversary Heritage Audio's range of monitor controllers has just gained a new member, the Baby RAM Black Edition...

01/05/2026

Universal Audio release UAD Enigmatic '82 Overdrive Special Amp

Dumble recreation now available as UAD plug-in Along with their renowned processing plug-ins, Universal Audio have been steadily introducing emulations of c...

01/05/2026

UPDATED: Republican AGs Join Nexstar-Tegna Antitrust Suit

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/05/2026

Broadcaster Draper Media Names Bill Vernon President

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/05/2026

Analysts: 'Hollywood's Vertical Video Strategy Is Dead Wrong'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/05/2026

Lightware UK celebrates new London showroom with launch e...

To celebrate the opening of its new showroom and office, Lightware UK hosted a dedicated launch event at the new London location. The event welcomed partners, c...

01/05/2026

Calrec Puts Broadcaster Choice Centre Stage at MPTS 2026

Choice without compromise The broadcast industrys transformation is accelerating, and traditional broadcasters are having to fundamentally reinvent how they o...