The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO) has condemned the mass dismissal of over 300 employees from the “National Radio and Television,” including 90 female employees and journalists.
In a statement published on its X account, the organization stated that this action by the interim government is another step in the direction of suppressing media freedom and systematically eliminating women from public spaces, especially in the media.
The statement noted that this action by the current government not only shows a blatant disrespect for the experience and efforts of the employees but also causes irreparable damage to the media structure and the future of independent information dissemination in Afghanistan.
The journalists’ support organization stated: “We consider this action as part of a systematic policy to eliminate women from the workforce and society; a policy that has previously been implemented in the ministries of education, higher education, agriculture, and other government institutions.”
The statement further mentioned: “The current government’s leadership decision to reduce government employees by 20 percent, without considering its human, social, and economic consequences, will deepen the crisis in the country.”
It is worth noting that in recent days, the current government has dismissed around 300 employees and journalists, including female journalists and employees from the central office and provincial offices of “National Radio and Television.”
It should be noted that the process of downsizing government positions has started over the past month, resulting in hundreds of employees being dismissed from government institutions. According to this decision, approximately 90,000 positions have been eliminated solely from the Ministry of Education.
The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization has called on the international community, human rights organizations, and advocates for media freedom to use political and diplomatic pressure tools to compel the current government to stop the arbitrary dismissals of media employees, especially women.
