Many women just want to share their life experiences.

Fauzia is a reporter for the BBC World Service Trust's Afghan Woman’s Hour programme.

In Khost, Fauzia travels to nearby villages, where she talks to women about their lives. She asks about their personal histories, educations, prejudices, traditions and recipes.

She also talks to them about human rights and conflict resolution.

Some women talk to Fauzia while they are working. Others just want to share their life experiences and contribute to local and national culture.

Fauzia is accompanied by her fiancé, who supports her work.

Frishta

Frishta, on the other hand, has to struggle against her husband and in-laws to work outside home.

She has a mini disk recorder and wherever she finds a chance, she interviews women in Kabul about their lives.

Her husband only allows her to go to the BBC office to send stories to London when he is in a good mood.

Maryam

Maryam has to be at home before dark. The more opposition she has in the family, the more determined she becomes and the more her passion for work grows.

She is happy to be a freelance reporter and her contributions are valued by the Afghan Woman's Hour team.

Young, unmarried women like Maryam take a member of the family - usually their mothers - when they travel outside the city.

Maryam wears a blue-grey Burqa for extra protection and modest clothing so that she blends in with the crowd. But beneath the veils, she is wearing make up and carrying her recording equipment and a notebook.

Her mother keeps busy with other women, talking about their lives and, when they are coming home, she gives her daughter even more topics for the programme.

Hillai

Women like Hillai in Jalalabad also report for Afghan Woman's Hour. Hillai goes out wearing a scarf on her head, passing through the narrow muddy streets without fear.

She greets her neighbours on the way and when she is late after an assignment outside the city, she calls her parents on a mobile phone to tell them not to worry.

Nazeefa

Nazeefa in Kandahar has recently started working for the programme. She is young and unmarried and her parents fuss over her activities. But they like to hear their daughter’s voice on the radio and take pride in it.

When she finishes editing a radio programme on her laptop and needs to send it to London, she goes to the nearest cyber cafe.

Rona

In Shiberghan city, northern Afghanistan, there is only one internet cafe and it is closed on public holidays.

On one such day Rona was desperate to send her report to London so she knocked on the door of the owner, who lived at the other end of the city.

They reluctantly opened the cafe so that Rona could send her radio story to London for broadcast.

A sense of ownership

These reporters approach women in rural areas and the cities. They speak to poor and vulnerable women, women from nomadic tribes, illiterate and educated women, as well as girls and men.

Many women share advice and experience that can help less empowered women change their lives for the better.

The reporters some times bring women to the BBC studios in Kabul, so that they can take part in discussions. Although some of them are very poor, they never ask for a contribution.

There is a strong sense of ownership of Afghan Woman's Hour among both the women who report and feature on the programme.

Training future reporters

One of the criteria for selecting reporters for Afghan Woman's Hour is that they are regular listeners to the programme and can come up with new ideas and discussion topics.

The BBC World Service Trust provides ongoing training to its reporters so that they can work for other media oragnisations in the future.

The very first reporter for Afghan Woman's Hour reporter is now a member of the Afghan Parliament. She contested the election and won herself a seat.

Another reporter is now at the helm of a community radio and television channel in Kandahar.

The BBC World Service Trust receives funding from the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office to keep Afghan Woman’s Hour broadcasting weekly in both Dari and Pashto.

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