Who is the Kiwi journalist praised for frontline reporting from Afghanistan?

By MiNDFOOD

Who is the Kiwi journalist praised for frontline reporting from Afghanistan?
Last week the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and hosted their first press conference addressing the media claiming "security and peace".

The group’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahed addressed a group of select media, with only three women in the room. One of those women was New Zealand-born Charlotte Bellis.

 

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Bellis has been on the ground in Kabul reporting for Al Jazeera. She has been based out of their Doha offices for four years.

During the press conference, the 35-year-old forced the organisation’s leaders to address their attitude towards women after she took charge and asked the first question.

Bellis asked whether Afghan women can be assured the right to continue work and study and also asked if the new government would once more lock women and female children in their houses and refuse them education or jobs.

Under the Taliban’s previous regime, women were not allowed to work or have an education. They were also forced to wear burqas.

To this, the Taliban responded that women’s rights will be guaranteed “within the limits of Islam”.

Who is Charlotte Bellis?

 

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Charlotte was raised in Christchurch. Her father Bruce was ‘a restaurateur, race car driver and sheep farmer.’

She studied Arts majoring in Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, returning back to New Zealand in 2009 to start reporting at TVNZ.

A lover of travelling and exploring the world, Bellis also competes in Ultra Trail running, recently competing in Oman.

 

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A post shared by Charlotte Bellis (@charlottebellis)

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