Is’haq Akrami- Bamyan
Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union (ANJU) distributed copies of ‘The Safety Guide for Afghan Journalists’ during a press conference to Journalists in Bamyan province. Different issues like the status of free expression and the problems of journalists and local media of Bamyan were discussed in the conference.
Ishaq Akrami the representative of ANJU in Bamyan province says that this is the first time ‘The Safety Guide for Afghan Journalists’ is being distributed to the journalists of Bamyan province and this is a resourceful Guide for media workers and they can make the best of it. Mr. Akrami said that most of the journalists in that province report on the central provinces and they mostly travel to unsecure areas.
The journalists of Bamyan welcome the preparation and publication of ‘The Safety Guide for Afghan Journalists’ by ANJU and asserted that the Guide is an effective tool for journalists especially to female journalists.
Female journalists who work in Bamyan province suffer from lesser pay, lack of job security, street harassment, and lack of confidence by government agencies. Aziza Azizi a local journalist in the conference stated: “there are less female journalists in Bamyan. The media administrators provide some female journalists with salary while some other work voluntarily in media.”
On the other hand, Hussaindad Ahmadi the representative of Afghan Civil Society Forum (ACSFo) in Bamyan says that the lack of national and international journalists is one of the major problems in Bamyan and the national and international news agencies should employ journalists in Bamyan province.
ANJU hopes that the journalists attain necessary knowledge from the contents of the Guide in this regard.
