Taliban ask female TV anchors to cover faces, male anchors wear face masks in solidarity

Days after the Taliban issued an order requiring female TV presenters to cover their faces at work, their male colleagues went on air wearing face masks in solidarity. Male anchors from numerous major news organisations, including TOLO News and 1TV News, have initiated a social media campaign posting images of themselves with the hashtag #FreeHerFace.

In the pictures circulating on social media, male and female staff members of a news channel can be seen sitting together in an office full of screens, all wearing black masks.

Male colleagues in @TOLOnews covered their face with black masks to express solidarity with female colleagues who are forced to have hijab while presenting on the screen. pic.twitter.com/Kwv60MSrrL

— Khalil Noori BBC (@KhalilNoori) May 22, 2022

For those wondering about this iconic photo: here we have Khatera Ahmadi one of our news presenter, preparing for a news bulletin – exhausted. Difficult breathing with a face covering #FreeHerFace ⁦@TOLOnews⁩ pic.twitter.com/5SVrrWhtWc

— Saad Mohseni (@saadmohseni) May 25, 2022

Male anchors of TOLO News and 1TV News went on air with their face masks on.

د لمر د ۷ بجو خبرونه د ۱۴۰۱ لمریز کال د غبرګولي ۰۳مه#طلوع‌نیوز https://t.co/qJ9D6RwNPT pic.twitter.com/d2hIMDRGg1

— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) May 24, 2022

طلوع‌نیوز- خبر ساعت شش – ۱ جوزا ۱۴۰۱#طلوع‌نیوز https://t.co/UdtFwDKNof pic.twitter.com/MNvzKTLxJP

— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) May 22, 2022

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.

Read more- Taliban orders TV presenters to cover their faces on air, Twitter protests

Taliban authorities have also prohibited girls from attending school after sixth grade, reversing previous Taliban promises that girls of all ages would be permitted to attend school.