Taliban repression silences award-winning Afghan woman journalist

The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afghanistan.

The journalist, who has been working in hiding, blamed her decision on the growing restrictions imposed on women under Taliban rule which she says have nearly erased' opportunities for women, especially women journalists. For me, the risk has become so severe that I've had to stop reporting entirely.

Women journalists are banned from attending news conferences and reporting from the field in Afghanistan. The award winner was unable to collect her Young Journalist Award in London last November due to Taliban restrictions on women's freedom of movement.

Her stories, published anonymously by the Afghan Times were described as courageous' by the Young Journalist Award judges. The articles expose the impact of repressive Taliban laws on the lives of women such as the closure of women-only restaurants, one of the few remaining spaces where women could work or socialise. Being named the winner felt like a light in the darkness, she says. It acknowledged a struggle that few people see - the hidden, dangerous work of reporting under repression It's a painful reality to step back from something that means so much to me.

It's a painful reality to step back from something that means so much to me.

2024 Young Journalist Award winner Erased from the media landscape Salma Niazi, editor of the Afghan Times, which is run by Afghan journalists in exile, says several journalists have stopped working in the past year as the environment has become much harsher'. Many of our reporters are under constant fear of harassment, arrest, or violence, she explains. Every story they produce comes with enormous risk, not just to them but also to their families.

Journalist Zahra Joya fled to the UK from Kabul as the Taliban entered the city in 2021. The founder and Editor-in-Chief of Rukshana Media which tells stories of women and girls in Afghanistan, says the Taliban's harsh restrictions have effectively erased women from the media landscape'. Some of Rukshana's journalists have also been forced to stop work or flee the country. Zahra says it's essential the international community continues to amplify the voices of Afghan women, citing the Young Journalist Award as one example. In this environment, international recognition, such as the Young Journalist Award, is very important. These kinds of acknowledgements remind us that we are not alone, that the world is listening, and that our work matters.

Its a view echoed by the Afghan journalist who hopes to return to journalism one day. She says the Young Journalist Award needs to be seen as more than a competition - it's a statement of belief in your work and in your courage', and she is urging other young journalists to enter and give power to your voice'.

Young Journalist Award 2025

This years Young Journalist Award competition is now open for entries.

For full details of the conditions and to enter, click here.

For more on the Award and to see some of our winners from previous years, visit our competition page.

Closing date: midnight (London time) on 1st August 2025

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