Zan Times is a women-led, investigative newsroom that covers human rights violations in Afghanistan with a focus on women and the LGBTQI+ community.
We are a group of mainly women journalists working both inside and outside Afghanistan to tell our own stories, raising our voice to shape and inform public discourse.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, women and other marginalized groups have faced systematic repression, violence, and the complete erasure of their social and political rights.
Zan Times was born out of this moment of desperation, of anger, of us trying to speak our truth in the face of injustice, and brute violence that suppresses us for who we are: women.
At Zan Times, we believe that change begins with awareness. Therefore, to build an equitable society in Afghanistan, our mission is to be a newsroom for social change: raising awareness, fostering empathy, and inspiring action.
Our Mission
Zan Times is dedicated to breaking down societal barriers by reporting on human rights issues affecting women and LGBTQI+ individuals in Afghanistan. Our mission is to be a catalyst for change by raising awareness, fostering empathy, and inspiring action. Through storytelling and investigative journalism, our vision is to contribute to building an equitable society in Afghanistan
Our Vision
Zan Times is a women-led newsroom dedicated to reporting on issues that matter. Our distinct edge lies in covering underreported issues and conducting groundbreaking investigations, led by professional women journalists in Afghanistan and in exile. With an unwavering commitment to credibility, ethics, and gender balance, we stand out in the Afghan media landscape. Be part of our mission to uplift the voices of the most marginalized, especially women and LGBTQI+ individuals in Afghanistan.
How we are funded
Trust is the core of what we do at Zan Times. Our aim is to empower women journalists to report on human rights situations in Afghanistan by providing unbiased and informative content to our readers. We stay true to this goal by being transparent with our readers and supporters, including about how we are funded.
Zan Times was started by personal savings and volunteer work of a team committed to report the truth about human rights violations taking place in Afghanistan. We are happy to inform our readers that we have received grants from Internews, Reporters Without Borders, and the International Women’s Media Foundation which made it possible for us to continue covering the human rights situation in Afghanistan. However, we still need support to cover our operation.
In the meantime, we want to assure our readers that we are independent in our editorial policy and the stories we cover. We do not allow any gifts, funds, or grants to influence our editorial decisions.
We are here to keep the world informed about what is happening in the only country on the planet that denies women’s basic human rights to education and work. Our colleagues in Afghanistan continue to report the truth with great risk to their lives and we hope that our work can inform the world in a way to inspire action in support of the marginalized populations in Afghanistan.
By remaining transparent about how we are funded, we hope to earn the trust of our readers and supporters and to provide you with fact-checked and high-quality journalism.
Please support our work to empower women journalists in Afghanistan.
