Shadowing the newsreader
Listen to the newsreader read out each line and then practise saying it. Record your own voice line by line and submit your voiceover.
Broadcasting from Kabul, Radio Begum provides a rare channel for women's voices and experiences under the Taliban.
Begum, a modern, colloquial term for a married Muslim woman, has its roots in a title for South Asian aristocracy.
Radio Begum, conceived as a vessel for women's voices, pains and frustrations, held its maiden broadcast on 8th March 2021, International Women's Day.
Despite Taliban restrictions imposed on women working and on girls' access to education, the station has so far endured, broadcasting a mix of education shows, book readings and call-in counselling and advocacy, designed to empower and educate women.
Hamida Aman founded the station.
However, adapting to the Taliban regime has meant the station making some concessions.
Men and women work in segregated offices and rather than pop music, traditional songs and quieter music travel the airwaves.
Beyond this, the station retains its educational focus, the studio resembling a classroom during its twice daily in-person lessons, where regular attendees like Mursal study and encourage everyone to listen in.
Radio Begum initially worked to ensure that women had a means of reaching out and being heard.
Following the Taliban's move to bar most girls' access to education, Radio Begum's transmissions have been providing invaluable learning to young people denied this opportunity.
