The male anchors, dressed to the nines and with nary a hair out of place, were breaking stories live on TV while wearing masks.
Afghanistan’s new authorities are closing in on the country’s population. What began as a physical invasion and a power grab now affects Afghans’ daily lives, particularly Afghan women.
In the latest crackdown on women’s rights, the country’s Vice and Virtue Ministry has made it essential for female news anchors to hide their faces on air. When the new directive was first implemented last week, there was little compliance, prompting the ruling group to enforce it last night.
The male anchors, dressed to the nines and nary a hair out of place, were breaking stories live on TV while wearing masks.
In no time, the new hashtag #Freeherface began trending on Twitter, with journalists, men and women, Afghans, and people from all over the world submitting masked-up images of themselves.
The Taliban ordered all women to cover themselves from head to toe while out in public earlier this month, with only their eyes exposed. Women could only leave their houses when absolutely necessary, according to the decree, which also outlined sanctions for male relatives if a lady broke the clothing code. If the women refuse to comply, the men may face jail time.
During the Taliban’s previous reign in Afghanistan, they placed severe restrictions on women, including denial of education and exclusion from public life, among other things. The Ministry of Information and Culture had previously declared the regulation “final and non-negotiable.”
Earlier this month, the Taliban ordered all women in public to wear head-to-toe apparel that only exposes their eyes only. The order said that women should only leave the house when strictly essential, and those male relatives who breached the dress code would face punishment ranging from notice to court hearings and prison sentences.
The Taliban has also made it illegal for girls to attend school after sixth grade, contradicting previous assurances by officials to let girls of all ages attend school.
Read More – Taliban orders women to cover their face in public
