Final, non-negotiable: Taliban forcing female TV anchors to cover faces on air

The Taliban has begun enforcing the order requiring all female TV news anchors in Afghanistan to cover their faces while on-air.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers on Sunday began enforcing an order requiring all female TV news anchors in the country to cover their faces while on-air. The move is part of a hard-line shift drawing condemnation from rights activists.

After the order was announced Thursday, only a handful of news outlets complied with the order. But on Sunday, most female anchors were seen with their faces covered after the Taliban's vice and virtue ministry began enforcing the order.

The Information and Culture Ministry previously announced that the policy was “final and non-negotiable.”

“It is just an outside culture, imposed on us, forcing us to wear a mask and that can create a problem for us while presenting our programs,” said Sonia Niazi, a TV anchor with TOLOnews.

A local media official confirmed his station had received the order last week but on Sunday it was forced to implement the order and hewas told it was not up for discussion. He spoke on condition he and his station remain anonymous for fear of retribution from Taliban authorities.

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During the Taliban's last time in power in Afghanistan from 1996-2001, they imposed overwhelming restrictions on women, requiring them to wear the all-encompassing burqa and barring them from public life. and education.