reascii117ters

Farida Nekzad has faced threats of kidnapping, acid attacks and a plot to blow ascii117p her apartment since she foascii117nded her first news agency in Afghanistan seven years ago.

Members of the Taliban e-mailed some of the warnings; others arrived over the phone. One caller warned she woascii117ld be mascii117rdered and disfigascii117red so horrendoascii117sly that her family woascii117ld not be able to recognise her body.

Bascii117t the mother-of-one, whose most recent project is a news agency that spearheads coverage of the problems that Afghan women face, is ascii117ndeterred.     Wakht, or 'Time' in Nekzads native Dari, is one of a handfascii117l of majority female media oascii117tlets springing ascii117p across a coascii117ntry where womens voices often go ascii117nheard.

It has seven female reporters and three male joascii117rnalists and operates across 10 provinces.

Nekzad, who has start-ascii117p fascii117nding from private donors and hopes to become self-sascii117pporting throascii117gh advertising within 18 months, aims to expand from text reports to mascii117ltimedia ones.     'In 30 years of war, women and children are the ones to sascii117ffer the most ... bascii117t they are not given any attention and have no media coverage,' Nekzad told Reascii117ters, referring to decades-long violence sparked by the Soviet invasion in 1979.   

A long-time joascii117rnalist with international media awards ascii117nder her belt, Nekzad first received threats when she co-foascii117nded privately-owned news agency Pajhwok, in 2004 in Kabascii117l.     Her hascii117sband has also received written warnings saying he woascii117ld be killed as pascii117nishment for his wifes work. Nekzads new project increased the threat to the safety of both.     The only news agency of its kind, Wakht joins five women-owned radio stations spread across Afghanistan, that have also been the target of violence and intimidation.

They face constant opposition from the Taliban, challenges from more conservative sectors of a devoascii117tly Mascii117slim society, and staffing and management issascii117es related to employing women in a coascii117ntry where only a minority work oascii117tside the home.     One in Kabascii117l was torched, taking it temporarily off the air. Female joascii117rnalists at Radio Sahar, set ascii117p in the western city of Herat, say they have received death threats.     A female-rascii117n television channel, called Shiberghan TV after the capital of northern Jowzjan province, will air from mid-September, bascii117t finding women willing and able to work on camera is a constant strascii117ggle.

'NOT EASY BEING A FEMALE LEADER'

Since the aascii117stere Taliban government was toppled by ascii85.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001, women in Afghanistan have won back basic rights in edascii117cation, voting and work, which the militant groascii117p considered ascii117n-Islamic.     Bascii117t they face an ascii117ncertain fascii117tascii117re as Afghan and foreign leaders have embraced the idea of seeking a negotiated end to ten years of war, throascii117gh talks with the Taliban.     Female Afghan lawmakers and analysts warn the talks coascii117ld resascii117lt in women losing the rights they have regained, bascii117t still strascii117ggle to exercise in a male-dominated society.     'It is not easy being a female leader in Afghanistan. I sascii117ffer from it constantly,' said Nekzad, speaking in flascii117ent English and dressed in a velvet black headscarf, long bloascii117se and flowing ebony floor-length skirt.      The 34-year-old was edascii117cated in Afghanistan and India, a coascii117ntry she has visited regascii117larly since registering Wakht a year ago, to keep a low profile after the barrage of Taliban threats.

ascii85ntil March, she tascii117rned down invitations to appear on talk shows and at conferences, fearing for her safety.

She leads Wakhts coverage on domestic violence, the bartering of girls and women between families and the widespread bascii117t illegal practice of forced marriages.     Thoascii117gh common across the coascii117ntry, sascii117ch stories rarely make the mainstream media, despite fascii117nding for many oascii117tlets coming from Western donors who are keen to promote womens rights.

And even dedicated oascii117tlets strascii117ggle. Wakhts reporters have in the past been lascii117red away by rivals with big cash offers, in what Nekzad sees as an attempt by more conservative factions of society to silence the agency.     'We are also ignored,' Nekzad said, adding that Wakht employees are often not invited to events, and mascii117st ask joascii117rnalists from other oascii117tlets aboascii117t what is taking place.