There are no female journalists in five provinces of Afghanistan, the country's top media watchdog said Sunday.

Nai, however, said that the presence of female journalists increased in 11 provinces of the country over the last 12 months.
They are Kabul, Parwan, Logar, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Helmand, Herat, Farah, Sar-i-Pul and Badakhshan.
Nai said that women’s presence in media sector decreased in seven provinces of the country, including Kapisa, Maidan Wardak, Bamyan, Khost, Samangan, Kunduz and Baghlan.
Owners of the media outlets in the provinces cited insecurity and financial problems as reasons behind the issue.
Provinces in which there are female journalists are: Ghor, Paktika, Nuristan, Uruzgan and Zabul.
Nai also said that 50 influential journalists who used to criticize the government had been recruited into the government.