Afghan broadcasters ignore Taliban orders to cover faces on TV

At the beginning of this month, Afghan women were ordered by decree to wear the burqa in public, as was the case during the first Taliban regime between 1996 and 2001. The dress code will be imposed from Saturday. Previously, female television journalists were only required to wear a headscarf.

However, TOLOnews, Shamshad TV and 1TV all broadcast live shows in which the faces of the presenters were not covered. “Our female colleagues are worried that if they do a nap of their faces now, the next step is for them to be asked to stop working,” Shamshad TV editor-in-chief Abed Ehsas told AFP.

A ministry spokesman warned on Saturday that the women risked being fired if they did not comply with the order. In addition, men are also at risk of losing their jobs if their wives or daughters are against the dress code.

More and more restrictions

After taking power in August, the extremist Islamic organization said it plans to respect women’s rights in Afghanistan. However, in recent months it has been announced that girls’ education will be banned. Afghan women have also been banned from appearing on TV soap operas since November, and since March they are only allowed to board the plane if they are accompanied by a male family member. All kinds of restrictions on women were reinstated, especially at the local level.