The presenters of the main Afghan television channels went on the air on Sunday with their faces covered, carrying out a Taliban order a day after defying it.
Since returning to power last year, the Taliban have imposed a series of restrictions on civil society, many of them aimed at limiting women’s rights. Earlier this month, the Taliban’s paramount chief issued an order requiring women to cover themselves completely in public, including their faces, ideally with the traditional burqa.
Previously, just a scarf covering the hair was enough.
The feared Afghan Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice had ordered TV presenters to do so by Saturday.
But the women journalists decided not to obey that order on Saturday, and went on the air, live, without hiding their faces. But on Sunday, the women wore full veils, revealing only their eyes and foreheads when presenting the news on TOLOnews, Ariana Television and Shamshad TV.