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This article is part of a Fox News Digital series examining the aftermath of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan a year ago this week.
Life under the Taliban government had a paralyzing effect in Afghanistan as women saw their rights to private education and work, in some cases by force.
The crackdown on basic human rights has largely been enforced through overt intimidation and threats, however a 32-year-old reporter told Fox News Digital that these efforts have not stopped her resolve to continue working under Taliban rule.
“I tell them, ‘Don’t consider me a woman, consider me a reporter,'” Meena Habib told Fox News Digital from her home in Kabul with the help of a translator. “I am still active on a daily basis doing my duty. Despite all these restrictions, I continue to be loyal to my people and my profession.”
Afghan journalist Meena Habib works after the Taliban takeover.
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Habib has become one of Afghanistan’s last female reporters and has been pushing for access to Taliban-led press conferences since the rebel group took power a year ago.
In images shared with Fox News Digital, Habib is seen sitting on a carpeted floor wearing a traditional hijab to cover her hair and large sunglasses so that only her nose peeks out of her dark suit as she takes notes. She appears to be the only woman in the crowded room.
The image is not a rare occurrence, said Habib, explaining that she often finds herself “the only female reporter sitting around.” [with] the Taliban militants “.
“They tell me you have nothing to do with journalism as a woman,” she said, describing her attempts to access Taliban-led press meetings and events.
Meena Habib attends a Taliban-led press conference.
The journalism industry across Afghanistan has seen a sharp decline in activity over the past year with 60% of the media workforce going out of business, but women have been the hardest hit, according to the results. by Reporters Without Borders.
Over 76% of journalists have lost their jobs since Kabul fell to the Taliban. Those who remained are subject to the Taliban’s “11 rules of journalism”, which discourage any reports that “could have a negative impact on public attitudes”.
Habib, who explained that most women have stopped reporting on the ground, described for Fox News Digital several threatening encounters she faced during her attempts to cover up life in Afghanistan, also earlier this month.
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Meena Habib is one of the few journalists left to continue her work after the Taliban’s takeover.
“A Taliban [man] she came at me with a machete and wanted to hit my camera, “she said describing the moment when Taliban officials took coordinated action to disperse dozens of women who took to the streets of Kabul this month to demand the return of their basic human rights.
“The Taliban [were] preventing reporters from taking pictures, “he added.
Habib managed to escape the scene, but fell during the chaos and injured her leg, though her camera was spared this time, she said.
The scene earlier this month echoed similar events that took place on September 8, 2021, just one day after the Taliban announced their “interim government” and hundreds of Afghan women took to the streets for a demonstration for women’s rights.
The events that unfolded a week after the official US withdrawal from Afghanistan outlined the “tense” future that Habib and others would face under the Taliban.
“[The] The Taliban arrested me and broke my camera, “he said.” They beat me.
Habib did not allow the events of the day or any of the subsequent threats to her life to stop her from continuing her work.
“This is a mission for me,” he said.
Meena Habib sits surrounded by Taliban members
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Habib’s perseverance paid off in some cases and he gained access to some government events and press conferences, though not always without reprisals.
“Some Taliban members had a good relationship with us,” she explained, referring to previous relationships she and others had shared with Taliban media officials.
Former Interior Ministry spokesman Saeed Khosti was fired after a December 2021 news conference in which he posed for a photo with Habib and two other women.
The other reporters were also fired from their positions and Habib was forced into hiding after receiving threatening calls from someone she suspected was among the Taliban.
“They bother journalists – harassment,” she explained. “To terrify them.”
Habib told Fox News Digital that he could have fled Afghanistan during the US withdrawal, but has decided to stay, saying he will not stop his work until restrictions on women and the media are lifted.
Meena Habib and others pose for a photo in December 2021 with the former Interior Ministry spokesman before he was fired.
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“This is a country that rules man,” he said. “Of course, there are threats of arrest or further trouble. I have chosen this profession, it is not a country friend of journalists. But despite all these threats I remain committed to my profession and continue to work”.
Fox News Digital asked if Habib would have liked his identity hidden for his protection, but refused and said, “I’m true to my comments.”
“Most women suffer,” she added. “But they need access to the information and as a female reporter I’m trying to provide all the information I can.”
