The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have issued an official order that female journalists must cover their faces on television. The move comes days after authorities ordered women to cover their faces in public.
From May 21, female presenters will no longer be able to appear on Afghan television without covering their facesImage: picture-alliance/abaca/AA/H. Sabawoon
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The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have asked local television broadcasters to ensure that female presenters cover their faces when on air, an official said on Thursday.
"Yesterday we met with media officials... they accepted our advice very happily," said Akif Mahajar, spokesman for the Taliban's Virtue and Vice Ministry.
He also added: "The last date for face covering for TV presenters is May 21."
The Taliban authorities have informed all television stations that the new order is "final and non-negotiable," the Afghan media outlet TOLOnews said.
One prominent TOLO presenter, Yalda Ali, posted a video of herself putting on a face mask with a caption: "a woman being erased, on orders from the Virtue and Vice Ministry."
Mahajar said female presenters could wear a medical face mask, as has been widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Images of women anchors and presenters circulated on social media on Thursday, with masks covering their faces. One television producer said the order meant "only the eyes of the female presenters must be visible."
In March, the Taliban banned all visual foreign media outlets, including the BBC and Deutsche Welle, as officials were unable to check content, including the reporters' attire, a Taliban official said.
What is the state of women's rights in Afghanistan?
The move comes days after authorities ordered women to cover their faces in public, a return to a policy of the Taliban's past hardline rule.
Most Afghan women wear a headscarf for religious reasons, but many in urban areas such as Kabul do not cover their faces. During the last Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, it was obligatory for women to wear the all-encompassing blue burqa.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, it has imposed severe restrictions on the media and cracked down on human rights in Afghanistan.
Girls and women have been deprived of many of their rights, including education, work and freedom of movement.
dh/rt (Reuters, dpa)
Afghanistan in free fall
Since the Taliban took power, Afghanistan has been isolated internationally, and the situation in the country is deteriorating: Almost half the population is starving, and the regime continues to restrict women's rights.
Image: Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP
Too little food
According to an analysis by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), nearly half of Afghanistan's population is experiencing acute hunger and is dependent on food supplies, as here in Kabul, where people are receiving Chinese food aid. "Hunger continues at unprecedented levels throughout the country," a UN spokeswoman said, putting the number of those going hungry at 19.7 million.
Image: Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua/IMAGO
Drought and economic crisis
Throughout the country, people are suffering from an ongoing drought and severe economic crisis. UN expert Anthea Webb said the World Food Programme, the largest scheme of its kind in the world, has already helped 22 million people this year alone. However, she said, the UN needs $1.4 billion (€1.3 billion) to continue its programs in Afghanistan.
Image: Javed Tanveer/AFP
Control and stricter rules
The Taliban initially said they would rule with more restraint than during their first period in power from 1996 to 2001, but the rights of women and girls in particular have been increasingly curbed: They are denied access to secondary education, are no longer allowed to travel alone and must completely veil themselves in public. Checkpoints like this one in Kabul serve to help maintain control.
Image: Ali Khara/REUTERS
Protest against new regulations
In the more liberal areas of Afghanistan, like here in Kabul, protests are rising against the new regulations. "We want to be known as living creatures; we want to be known as human beings, not slaves imprisoned in the corner of the house," said one participant. Protesters also chanted, "The burqa is not my hijab (headscarf)," criticizing the new rule on full-face veils.
Image: Wakil Kohsar/AFP
15 dollars for a burqa
A burqa dealer in Kabul says that in the days following the announcement of the new clothing regulation, prices for burqas increased by 30%. In the meantime, however, price levels have returned to normal, he says, as dealers have found that there is no increased demand for burqas at all. "A burqa is good according to the Taliban, but it is the women's last choice."
Image: Wakil Kohsar/AFP
Joint restaurant visits prohibited
In Herat in western Afghanistan, which is generally considered liberal by Afghan standards, men and women are no longer allowed to eat together. Safiullah, the manager of a restaurant, confirmed that he had to follow the directive even though "it has a very negative impact on our business," and adding that if the ban continues, he will be forced to fire staff.
Image: Mohsen Karimi/AFP
Reaction of the international community
The new rules introduced by the Taliban, some of whom are seen here at an event marking the anniversary of the death of late leader and founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, are calling the international community into action. G7 foreign ministers said, "We condemn the introduction of increasingly restrictive measures" and that urgent steps must be taken "to lift restrictions on women and girls."
