News Center- On the International Women’s Day, Reporters Without Borders (RFS) released a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned women journalists throughout the world.

Of the 550 journalists and media workers who are currently imprisoned worldwide, 73 are women, according to RSF’s press freedom barometer.

Women journalists in Afghanistan and Iran

“Women journalists have paid the price for being at the front line in recent crises,” the statement said, “Of the 12 women journalists currently detained in Iran, 11 were arrested in the wake of the protests about Kurdish student Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.”

Drawing attention to the women journalists in Afghanistan, the statement said, “The media landscape in Afghanistan has changed beyond recognition in less than two years. Half of the 526 media outlets that existed until the summer of 2021 have had to close and, of the 2,300 women journalists registered prior to 15 August 2021 (the date of the Taliban takeover), fewer than 200 are still working. Almost all of the women journalists (90%) have had to leave their jobs and some have fled the country, although exactly how many have managed to flee is not known.”