Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
October 20, 2025 Women
Nearly 70,000 women in Afghanistan listen to Radio Femme, an online radio station run entirely by women. It disseminates knowledge and raises awareness about the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan's provinces.
With Afghan women barred from attending schools and universities, Radio Femme offers alternative forms of education. Eight teachers teach subjects such as mathematics and science.
This state of affairs continued until September 30, when the Taliban, without explanation, shut down the internet and mobile communications throughout the country, effectively forcing Radio Femme off the air.
The radio station's suspension is just one of many examples of how important the internet is for Afghan women. The lack of online radio broadcasting, coupled with the aftermath of the earthquake in the east of the country, the ongoing drought in the north, and the return of millions of refugees expelled from neighboring countries, is making life increasingly difficult for women and girls in Afghanistan.
"The current crisis is compounded by an existing one," said Arafat Jamal, a spokesman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Such intervention is completely unjustified, and its consequences will directly impact the lives of the Afghan people."
In an interview with UN Women, an Afghan woman named Sama said the internet is vital for her work, starting a small business, and selling goods.
"Thanks to my online store, I've become famous," says Sama. "I'm making money, solving my financial problems, and becoming independent."
After the internet shutdown, Sama, like many other women, lost her only source of income overnight: “This deprives many of their last opportunity to study, earn money, and socialize.”
Internet access in Afghanistan has now been partially restored, but the outage demonstrated how valuable and fragile this channel of information exchange is. UN Women emphasizes that the importance of the digital space cannot be assessed from a purely technical perspective; the education, mental health, and livelihoods of Afghan women are at stake.
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