Saudi Feminists Launch Online Radio
Operating out of a small room in an unknown country, a new internet radio station Nsawya FM (Feminism FM) broadcasts a programme aimed at campaigning for greater women's rights in Saudi Arabia, according to a report from the BBC.
Nsawya FM has two presenters and nine women producing content. All but two of the women are Saudi nationals, and some of the women live in Saudi Arabia. The women say communication between them is difficult because they live in different time zones and some have other demands on their time, including studies or work.
"We started this project to archive this phase for history, so that people would know we were real, we did exist," explained Ashtar, a Nsawa presenter who did not want so share any details about her own identity despite living outside the kingdom because she feared reprisals.
At least 17 human rights defenders and women's rights activists critical of the Saudi government have been arrested or detained since mid-May, according to the UN. Several of them have been accused of serious crimes, including "suspicious contact with foreign parties", and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.