With the long-standing ambition of becoming a journalist, Sanam has not let the challenges of a conservative society and cultural practices stand in the way of achieving her dream. Fortunately for Sanam, she was able to overcome her family’s initial resistance to her working in the media due to the presence of a local women-managed media outlet that provided her with a work opportunity. “It took me a year to convince them that it was a fine opportunity for me. First, I had them watch what the girl who took the position I could have had was doing. After realizing that her activities were fine, they visited Zendagi TV itself to make sure it was a proper environment for me. The fact that this is a female only environment really helped and they finally agreed,” said Sanam.

With no formal training in journalism, Sanam was able to build on her practical experience through the training conducted by Nai, Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan, with the assistance of the USAID Rasana program. Sanam, along with 235 young women, benefitted from training in the Essentials of Journalism that is helping them do their jobs better and improve their chances of continued employment in the media. “Even though I had four years of learning on the job, I know I learned a lot with this training. I have changed the way I approach my broadcasts and feel more confident developing my own scripts. In the past I only used what I found in books or on-line. I consider this a real step ahead for me in my career.”

In recent years the increasing competition to attract advertising revenue has affected the structure of the Afghan media sector, resulting in an increased demand for professionalization. The Rasana program has helped to ensure that women are also able to continue to play a role in the media sector.