Fearless Afghan women break barriers with first-of-its-kind news station

Fearless Afghan women break barriers with first-of-its-kind news station

A new network in Kabul is giving Afghan women a platform to express the ideas and news that matter to them most.

Zan TV - which translates to "Women's TV" - is the first of its kind in the country, with an essential focus on female empowerment.

All of the station's broadcasters and producers are women, who will report news that interests and impacts women.

The first broadcast aired on May 21.

Zan TV hopes to be a space for women in a media industry that often overlooks women's stories, perspectives, and interests.

The channel plans to cover a wide variety of topics, from news to entertainment to religion.

"We face many challenges, as this television [station] is dedicated to women, and we are living in a male-dominated society where less attention is given to women and their rights," Zan TV presenter Shamela Rasooli told Reuters.

"So this television channel has been created so that we can fight for the rights of women and raise their voices for everyone [to hear]."

More than 50 women are involved in creating and producing Zan TV.

Because the station is working with a minimal budget, many of the women are students supplementing their education with hands-on experience.

While all producers and presenters are women, Zan TV was created by man.

Media entrepreneur Hamid Samar told Reuters he was inspired to create the network after looking through job applications for another news station.

Many women were applying for the role of an anchor, though cultural taboos almost ensured the role would go to a man.

Access to education and media training is still a new development for women in Afghanistan after the toppling of the Taliban's rule over the region 16 years ago.

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