Afghan pop star and women’s rights activist Aryana Saeed underwent a similar deluge after a recent concert in Paris. It’s always risky” in Afghanistan to fight conservatism and extremism, said Sohail, who also runs the country’s most popular newspaper, 8-Subh (8-Hours). “If not, the conservatives will bring us back, to a primitive life.” “This is a life and death conflict,” he explained, adding they have no choice but to fight. Gelara, which sells for 100 afghanis (Dh5.40 or $1.30) in the street, is provocative - but only to a point. Though some heads remain unveiled, women’s bare legs and arms are rarely pictured. Zan TV, or “Women’s TV”, will also aim to challenge traditional expectations of the female role in Afghanistan, when it begins broadcasting in the near future.ĪFP visited its studios in a vast house in Kabul last month: there is a candy pink one for news another is blue, the traditional interior for talk shows while political broadcasts are conducted from a red sofa against a green background - echoing the Afghan flag.
Women are already on the air in Afghanistan and regularly present the news. Mehria Afzal, 25, the head of the political service, expects to be “the voice of Afghan women”. “In the provinces, girls are exchanged like animals. It is forbidden, but they do not know their rights,” she asserts. “This is the first time that we have launched a television project dealing with the issues of Afghan women, covering all subjects, allowing women to express themselves whether it is politics or religion,” says Malalai Zikria, the channel’s editorial adviser.