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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Human Resource Manager
Communications officer
Copy editor
Journalist
“Zan” means woman in Farsi, which is Afghanistan’s major language.
The regime currently in power wants to make women socially invisible. So, in response, we chose “Zan Times” as our name. It is our time to speak truth to power and reclaim our autonomy.
No. While Zan Times is a women-led media organization that focuses largely on women’s rights issues in Afghanistan, we also cover a wide range of topics, especially in the human rights field. In addition, several men work at Zan Times, and writers from the LGBTQI community collaborate with us on a regular basis.
Yes. Zan Times has an active team of journalists who are working in several provinces of the country.
No. It is not safe to report from Afghanistan. The Taliban regime is actively hostile to journalism. Journalists are regularly beaten, arrested and tortured by the regime. There is severe repression of the news and censorship in Afghanistan.
Our colleagues use pseudonyms (pen names). They hide their identities within Afghanistan to avoid being detected by the Taliban. To minimize the risk of our journalists and sources being identified, we also use their pseudonyms within our newsroom.
Zan Times was started in August 2022 through the volunteer work and personal savings of a team committed to reporting the truth about human rights violations taking place in Afghanistan.
To continue our work, we obtained grants from organizations that support media and press freedom, as well as donations from our readers and supporters.
We want to emphasize 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.
There are many ways you can support Zan Times:
Yes. Zan Times is open to partnership on news stories covering Afghanistan.
Through this email: partnership@zantimes.com
Zan Times is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Its office is located in Edmonton, Canada.
Through this email: info@zantimes.com
Through this email: opinion@zantimes.com
We started our work in August 2022.
The recent funding freeze by the U.S. has affected us. We need your support to continue our work.
