Krishma Naz, 22, presents a music program at Zan TV in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, May 23, 2017. The first-ever woman television channel, Zan TV, in Afghanistan has been established recently to highlight the rights of Afghan women, improve their status and ensure their equity with men in the conservative society.(Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)
by Abdul Haleem, Jawid Omid
KABUL, May 28 (Xinhua) -- "Afghanistan is a traditional country where women have hugely suffered due to traditional barriers over decades," founder of a newly-established television channel Zan Television which means women TV station, Hamid Samar, told Xinhua recently.
Women Television Channel or shortly called Zan TV according to its founder was the need of time for Afghan women and women right activists to highlight the rights of Afghan women, improve their status and ensure their equity with men in the conservative society.
"The concept for me to highlight the rights of women was to establish a Women Television Station (Zan TV) in the country to highlight the rights of women and display their abilities," said Samar.
Since the collapse of the Taliban reign in late 2001, more than 70 private television channels have been established to operate alongside the state-run National Television channel but women manage none.
Invested around 250,000 U.S. dollars to operate the television channel three months ago, Samar emphasized that Afghan women have been virtually marginalized in the traditional and conservative society while they have nothing short in talent than men.
"Through airing and broadcasting a variety of programs on Women TV, we on one hand, demonstrate the women's abilities that women have no shortage than men, and on the other, to create job opportunities for women," said Samar.
Presently, 70 people with 54 of them women are working for Women TV in different departments in different capacities ranging from presenters, news reporters and producers in variety of programs including politics, social programs and entertainment.
A total of 16 men are currently working in technical departments of the Women TV to teach the women staffers on how to use cameras, sound system and lighting, he revealed, adding that efforts are underway to change the newly formed Zan TV into a leading one in the patriarchal country.
Afghan women deserve promotion and freedom of work like women in developed countries, Samar said.
In Afghanistan where people mostly in rural areas deeply believe in tribal traditions, many families even do not allow their daughters to go to school, although women status in the country has been very much improved over the past 16 years.
Afghan women currently are involved in business, politics and social affairs including music and cinema in the traditional society.
To project the rights of women, there is a weekly Zan-e-Afghan which means Afghan Women, published in Kabul once a week.
"In the country where we live, even taking the name of a woman is not easy," founder of Zan TV claimed, "In such an environment establishing a television channel for women and running it by women definitely is a challenging task and risky."
"We are determined to run the Zan TV and we are ready to face all challenges and overcome all problems to project women rights."
"We are not doing something bad for our country, for our culture, our religion or our people, we have to present the abilities of the Afghan women," the women rights activist noted.
Revealing the problems in recruiting women employees, the manager of the Women TV said that usually some parents after visiting the TV station and checking working environment allow female members of their families to work.
"It is comfortable for me to work here for a women-run television where most of its employees are women and girls and I am proud of my work in such environment," a presenter for Zan TV, Basira Joya told Xinhua.
Nevertheless, she lamented that sometimes the traditionalist elements and extremists warn her of dire consequences if she continues to work for the Women TV.
"Although my family has no problem with my work outside home, the passersby and my neighbors hamper my work," director of political news for Women TV, Zarina Khatibi told grumblingly.
