Hamida Aman

Hamida Aman
Born	1973 Kabul
Nationality	Afghan
Occupation	media entrepreneur
Known for	starting Radio Begum for girls in Afghanistan

Hamida Aman (born 1973) is an Afghan entrepreneur, writer and journalist. She started a radio station in Kabul that specialises in educating the girls excluded by gender apartheid from public education. In 2024 she was recognised as one of the BBC's 100 inspirational women.

Life

Aman was born in Kabul in 1973. Her grandmother had been a noblewoman who had the title of "Begum". She and her family emigrated to avoid conflict to live in Switzerland when she was six. She completed her education and in 2001 the Taliban fell from power in her country and she visited. She was living with her own family in Paris, but she used her knowledge of communication and journalism to launch several projects in Afghanistan.^[1]

In 2020 she started an organisation called Begum Organisation for Women.^[2]

When the American forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, Aman had launched a radio station named Radio Begum in the preceding March.^[2][3] The Taliban's approach to government resulted in what was later called Gender Apartheid as women were excluded from public life, secondary schools and universities were reserved for boys and men.^[4]

Radio Begum was run by a team of women and from2022 it was supported by the International Programme for the Development of Communication. The funding allowed for forty extra women to be trained.^[2] and it's approach was to conform to the rules in order that they could continue to transmit to the women of Afghanistan.^[3] It has been estimated that the radio station is listened to by around half a million people via twelve transmitters.^[2]

In 2024 Aman's inspirational work was recognised by the BBC when she was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women.^[5]

References

1. "À Kaboul, Radio Begum, le seul média à fournir un accès à l'éducation des filles". Madame Figaro (in French). 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
2. "Resilience amidst adversity: Hamida Aman, founder of women-led radio Begum, empowering Afghan women's voices". Archived from the original on 2024-11-30. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
3. "La fondatrice de Radio Begum, la voix des Afghanes: "Nous sommes sans cesse confrontées à des embûches"". rts.ch (in French). 2024-04-18. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
4. "UN rapporteur calls for Taliban's 'gender apartheid' to be codified as crime". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
5. "BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year? - BBC News". News. Retrieved 2024-12-21.