Hamida Aman
Hamida Aman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 26/04/1974 |
| Nationality | Afghan |
| Citizenship | Afghan Swiss |
| Education | University of Lausanne |
| Occupation(s) | women's rights activist, media entrepreneur, journalist and founder of Begum Organization for Women |
| Known for | starting Radio Begum for girls in Afghanistan |
| Television | Begum TV |
| Spouse | Christian Marie |
| Children | 2 kids |
| Website | https://begum.ngo/ |
Hamida, an Afghan media entrepreneur and founder of the Begum Organization for Women, has made significant contributions to Afghan women's rights. Her work has not gone unnoticed. In 2024, she was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 inspirational women, a testament to the global impact of her efforts.
Biography
[edit]Hamida is an Afghan media entrepreneur and founder of Begum Organization for Women.
Despite the upheaval, Hamida's resilience shone through. Born in Kabul on April 26th 1974, she and her family fled the country due to the war, finding refuge in Switzerland when she was six. She grew up in Lausanne, studied journalism, and worked for the Swiss press. When the Taliban regime fell at the end of 2001, Hamida made a bold decision not to leave again. Instead, she rushed to Kabul, where she worked for various international NGOs supporting Afghan media's development.
In 2004, she created Awaz ("the voice" in the Dari language), a small audiovisual production company, which within a few years became a significant actor in Afghanistan's media and entertainment industry, renowned for the quality of its work and its creativity.
In 2020, together with a few friends and colleagues, she founded the Begum Organization for Women. This organization aims to defend Afghan women's rights through various media: radio, web, and TV. It holds a significant place in Afghan history as a platform for advocating women's rights in the face of adversity.
When American forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, Hamida had already launched a radio station, Radio Begum, in the preceding March. The Taliban's approach to governance led to what was later termed gender apartheid, as women were excluded from public life, and secondary schools and universities were reserved for boys and men. In this context, the mission of Radio Begum, to educate girls excluded by gender apartheid from public education, became not just important, but urgent.
Awaz Communication
[edit]In 2004, Hamida Aman founded the audiovisual production company Awaz Communication, which is dedicated to supporting the development of Afghan institutions and media. She appointed Arif Ahmadi as the director of the Kabul office. The company grew to employ up to 150 people, strongly emphasizing hiring women. One of its most successful productions was the reality TV show Réaction, which embedded itself with police patrols and gained significant popularity.
Radio Begum is an activist project created by women for women.
On March 8, 2021, to mark International Women's Rights Day, and as the looming return of the Taliban threatened women's freedoms, Hamida Aman launched Radio Begum, an Afghan radio station made by women, for women. The word Begum means "princess," "woman of high rank. According to Aman, "This radio is a vessel for women's voices, their pain, their frustrations."
Broadcasting 24/7 on FM frequencies from Kabul and across 19 provinces, Radio Begum has become the country's leading private radio station in terms of audience and coverage. It operates with an all-female team of 30 women, including journalists, reporters, educators, and health specialists. The station airs six hours of educational programming daily, along with shows on health, psychotherapy, spirituality, and entertainment for women.
Launched in November 2023, this initiative aims to make education accessible to Afghan middle and high school girls deprived of schooling since August 2021. More broadly, it seeks to support education for the Afghan population as a whole.
The Begum Academy digital platform was specifically designed to be user-friendly for an audience with limited digital literacy. It features an ergonomic design and allows students to access educational content on smartphones, tablets, or computers.
References
[edit]TV5 Monde. (2024). Grand Angle - Afghanistan : trois ans avec les talibans. [Vidéo]. Disponible sur : https://information.tv5monde.com/international/video/grand-angle-afghanistan-trois-ans-avec-les-talibans-2736653
Le Figaro. (2024). Hamida Aman, la voix des femmes afghanes. [Vidéo]. Disponible sur : https://video.lefigaro.fr/figaro/video/hamida-aman-la-voix-des-femmes-afghanes/
Context News. (2024). Banned from school, Afghan girls turn to TV classes. Disponible sur : https://www.context.news/socioeconomic-inclusion/banned-from-school-afghan-girls-turn-to-tv-classes
Libération. (2024). JO : le CIO doit permettre aux femmes afghanes de regarder les épreuves féminines. Disponible sur : https://www.liberation.fr/idees-et-debats/tribunes/jo-le-cio-doit-permette-aux-femmes-afghanes-de-regarder-les-epreuves-feminines-20240728_M5UTJ53OF5HTJGWC3NM2N7CBOQ/?redirected=1
Le Figaro. (2024). Sur Begum TV, des émissions faites par des Afghanes en exil pour des Afghanes au pays. Disponible sur : https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/sur-begum-tv-des-emissions-faites-par-des-afghanes-en-exil-pour-des-afghanes-au-pays-20240909
Elle. (2024). À Paris, ces Afghanes ont monté une école pour les enfants qui en sont privés par les Talibans. Disponible sur : https://www.elle.fr/Societe/News/A-Paris-ces-Afghanes-ont-monte-une-ecole-pour-les-enfants-qui-en-sont-prives-par-les-Talibans-4242096
ONU Femmes Asie-Pacifique. (2024). Begum TV broadcasts education and hope into millions of Afghan homes. Disponible sur : https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/stories/feature-story/2024/05/begum-tv-broadcasts-education-and-hope-into-millions-of-afghan-homes
NewsDig. (2024). [Titre non spécifié]. Disponible sur : https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/1116924
YouTube. (2024). [Vidéo sur Hamida Aman et Begum TV]. Disponible sur : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKTXUErY1A8
France 24. (2024). Paris-based Begum TV channel: A window to the world for women in Afghanistan. Disponible sur : https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240325-paris-based-begum-tv-channel-a-window-to-the-world-for-women-in-afghanistan
Afghanistan International. (2024). [Vidéo sur Begum TV et les femmes afghanes]. Disponible sur : https://www.afintl.com/video/ott_73c6a54c26164fcb89a53801525d9f23
The Japan Times. (2024). Afghan girls turn to online learning as education ban continues. Disponible sur : https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/03/21/world/society/afghan-girls-online-learning/
The Hindu. (2024). Taliban's education ban forces girls and women into dull online classes. Disponible sur : https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/talibans-education-ban-forces-girls-and-women-into-dull-online-classes/article67974956.ece
The Asahi Shimbun. (2024). Disponible sur : https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15189309
The Times. (2024). Afghan women's radio show can remain on the airwaves for now. Disponible sur : https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/afghan-womens-radio-show-can-remain-on-the-airwaves-for-now-973b5t35v?region=global
Dawn. (2024). ‘We’re not giving up’: Radio Begum broadcasts voices of muted women across Afghanistan. Disponible sur : https://www.dawn.com/news/1662637/were-not-giving-up-radio-begum-broadcasts-voices-of-muted-women-across-afghanistan
