Male anchors in Afghanistan don masks after Taliban orders women to cover faces on TV

Days after the Taliban issued a decree ordering female Television presenters to cover their faces at work, their male colleagues have donned face masks on-air in solidarity. Male anchors at several prominent outlets, including TOLOnews and 1TVNews, also launched a campaign on social media, sharing photos of themselves with a hashtag reading #FreeHerFace.

Many global media houses including Deutsche Welle also joined the campaign, with several male and female journalists tweeting selfies with their faces covered. They also shared messages in support of women in Afghanistan and in opposition to the Taliban's decree.

Taliban orders female anchors to cover faces on TV

Taliban officials announced earlier this month that all women and girls must leave home only when necessary and wear head-to-toe clothing when out in public. These are among the harshest restrictions the terror group has imposed since returning to power in August 2021.

The Taliban went a step further this week by specifically ordering female TV news anchors to cover their faces during broadcasts. The mandate only affected a handful of women who work as television presenters in the country, but it triggered a large social media response.

Their decree raised a host of concerns, not only about women's freedom of expression but about whether they could continue doing their jobs.

Before this, Taliban leaders had prohibited Afghan girls from secondary education. Women were also ordered to visit parks in Kabul on separate days from men.

The Taliban, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, regained control of Afghanistan in August last year following the exit of foreign troops. Since their takeover, the Taliban have been accused of committing atrocities against Afghan women, depriving young girls and women of humanitarian rights.