Zan Times is a women-led, investigative newsroom that covers human rights violations in Afghanistan with a focus on women, the LGBTQ community, and environmental issues. We are a group of mainly women journalists working both inside and outside Afghanistan to tell stories of marginalized populations who rarely have a 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 suppressing us for who we are. Zan Times was born out of the need to reclaim our autonomy and self-determination, to seek ways to shape and define the future we want to live in and fight for equality and freedom for all. At Zan Times, we believe that change begins with awareness. Therefore, our vision is to build an independent, accountable, and professional newsroom for raising awareness and sharing analysis about the lives of disadvantaged groups in Afghanistan. As many of us worked as journalists in Afghanistan, we are aware of the challenges, dangers, and opportunities of working in the media landscape and are doing our part in making sure the stories of the country are told. To that end, we are building on what Zan Times created in 2022 when we produced more than 60 reports and 200 daily news articles in Dari-Farsi and English. In 2023, we are focusing on producing in-depth and investigative reports on the lives of the most marginalized, while also supporting our team by building its capacity. At Zan Times, we know it is the time for women and the time to ensure their voices are heard.
