Afghan female journalists defiant as Taliban restrictions grow

They do not value women as humans, let alone allowing them to be a presenter or news anchor who sits at the same table with them and have discussions,” she added.Despite the ban on showing their faces, Afghan women journalists continue to report.“When I cover my face, my identity is lost, but yet I decided to continue appearing on TV even with face masks because I do not want them to think that by putting pressure on us, they can eliminate us,” Sosan said.Mahira also refused to give in to the pressure, even though the temptation to resign arises every day. If we leave, who will speak for them?” she said.In acts of solidarity with their female colleagues, male journalists have also appeared on screen wearing face masks in recent days.“We stand beside our female colleagues and protest this order because we know how difficult it is to present on TV with your face covered,” Idrees Farooqi, chief editor and head of news at 1TV, told Al Jazeera.Journalists and activists in Afghanistan and across the globe have also taken to social media to protest against the move by sharing pictures of themselves wearing masks alongside the hashtag #FreeHerFace.For Afghan women though, reporting is resistance, Mahira said.“Although this order was very heartbreaking, but I will say to them that even if you make me wear a burqa I will still present on TV.