Afghan women TV presenters vow to challenge Taliban order to cover faces
aliban has ordered all women in public to wear head-to-toe clothing that leaves only their eyes visible Women television presenters on Afghanistan’s leading news channels have vowed to speak up for their rights after being forced by Taliban authorities to cover their faces on air. Since seizing power last year, the Taliban have imposed restrictions on civil society, especially on women and girls, to comply with the group’s austere brand of Islam. This month Afghanistan’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered that women must cover up fully in public, including their faces. The feared Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice ordered women television presenters to follow suit. After defying the order a day earlier, presenters on Sunday wore full hijabs and veils that left only their eyes on view across leading channels including TOLOnews, Ariana Television, Shamshad TV and 1TV. “Today, they have imposed a mask on us, but we will continue our struggle using...