Salma Niazi is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Afghan Times, an independent media outlet amplifying the voices of Afghan women. Based in Dublin, Ireland since January 2024, Salma continues her work in exile after being forced to flee Afghanistan in February 2022 following the Taliban's return to power. She remained in hiding in Pakistan for nearly two years before resettling in Ireland.
Despite these challenges, Salma has fearlessly sustained The Afghan Times, working with a courageous team of journalists and photographers inside Afghanistan who operate in secrecy. In April 2024, she launched the Open Mic Podcast, a groundbreaking platform where over 50 young Afghan women have shared personal stories of resilience. She also spearheaded two powerful magazine editions: “Women and Food Insecurity in Afghanistan” (October 2024, World Food Day) and “Locked Room: Afghan Women’s Voices” (March 2025, International Women’s Day).
Salma has trained a network of eight youth reporters and photographers, and remains connected to over 100 young women contributors across the country. Her work continues to inspire a new generation of Afghan journalists, offering a lifeline for truth, resistance, and women's voices under repression.