World Press Freedom Day
5/4/20253 min read
Statement by the New Future Women’s Movement of Afghanistan on World Press Freedom Day – With a Slight Delay
May 3, World Press Freedom Day, is an important occasion to reaffirm a fundamental truth: freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and access to reliable information are among the essential foundations of an informed, accountable, democratic, and humane society.
Although our statement is being published with a slight delay, our commitment to freedom of expression, independent journalism, and the right of every individual to speak, write, report, and seek the truth without fear remains unwavering. The significance of press freedom is not limited to a single day on the calendar. It is a principle that must be defended every day, particularly in societies where truth itself has become a dangerous act.
In Afghanistan, journalists, writers, media workers, photographers, videographers, analysts, and independent voices continue to work under immense pressure. In an environment where speaking the truth can lead to intimidation, harassment, detention, censorship, or other forms of punishment, defending press freedom has become more than a professional responsibility—it has become an act of resistance.
The systematic restriction of independent media has deprived Afghan society of one of its most important tools for accountability and public awareness. When journalists are prevented from asking questions, when newspapers and broadcasters are forced into silence, and when citizens are denied access to independent information, the consequences extend far beyond the media community. Society as a whole loses its ability to challenge injustice, document abuses, demand accountability, and make informed decisions about its future.
We extend our deepest respect and solidarity to all Afghan journalists and media professionals who, despite threats and uncertainty, continue to report, document, investigate, and preserve the truth. We honor those who continue their work from inside Afghanistan under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, as well as those who have been forced into exile but remain committed to amplifying the voices of the Afghan people.
We especially recognize the courage of Afghan women journalists. Women in the media face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, exclusion, intimidation, and censorship. Their presence in journalism is not only important for press freedom but also essential to ensuring that the experiences, struggles, demands, and perspectives of Afghan women are not erased from public life.
The silenced names of those who can no longer write, hold a camera, report from the field, or ask difficult questions remain alive in our collective memory. We remember journalists and media workers who have lost their lives, their freedom, their professions, or their ability to remain in their homeland because of their commitment to truth.
Their absence must never become another form of silence.
We stand with independent media outlets that continue to serve as the voice of those who have been denied a platform. We support journalists who shed light on realities that authorities would prefer to keep hidden, who document violations despite censorship, and who continue to create spaces for public dialogue despite intimidation and repression.
A free press is not a privilege granted by those in power. It is a fundamental right and a crucial safeguard against abuse, corruption, injustice, and authoritarianism. Without free and independent media, victims are more easily forgotten, violations remain undocumented, and those responsible for abuses face fewer opportunities for accountability.
We therefore call upon the international community, human rights organizations, media institutions, press freedom organizations, and democratic governments to stand firmly with Afghan journalists and media workers. Expressions of concern must be accompanied by practical measures to protect journalists at risk, support independent Afghan media, provide emergency assistance and safe pathways for threatened media workers, and ensure that violations against journalists are documented and addressed.
We also call for greater international attention to the situation of women journalists, writers, activists, and human rights defenders whose voices have been systematically restricted. The exclusion of women from public and professional life is inseparable from the broader attack on freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Afghanistan.
The world must not allow Afghanistan to become a place where silence replaces journalism, fear replaces inquiry, and censorship replaces truth.
Press freedom is the voice of the people. It gives citizens the ability to be heard, allows abuses to be exposed, and ensures that those in positions of power can be questioned and held accountable.
As long as women, journalists, writers, activists, and independent thinkers remain trapped behind walls of censorship, intimidation, repression, and enforced silence, we will not remain silent.
We will continue to defend freedom of expression, stand in solidarity with journalists, and raise our voices for those whose voices have been suppressed.
On World Press Freedom Day, we reaffirm our belief that truth cannot be permanently imprisoned, journalism cannot be erased, and the desire for freedom cannot be silenced.
New Future Women’s Movement of Afghanistan