<p>One of the most common questions while reporting on conflicts or a threat-posing circumstance&nbsp;consists of&nbsp;asking the interviewee, 'Can I name you in the story?' Over the past few weeks, as Afghanistan's Taliban government dismantled women's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-women-speak-to-wion-as-taliban-dismantles-their-right-to-education-campus-after-campus-545841">right to education</a> campus after campus, WION reached out to a number of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exclusive-afghan-women-fear-for-life-as-taliban-ban-male-doctors-from-treating-them-551218">Afghan women</a> living under Taliban's anti-women tyranny.</p>

<p>Every interview began with one common question, 'Can I name you in the story?'</p>

<p>Almost all Afghan women insisted to be named despite WION offering them anonymity for their safety under Taliban's rule; a formidable sign of resistance against&nbsp; Afghanistan's repressive regime.</p>

<p>Dr Sona, a doctor from Kabul who was denied a job shortly before&nbsp;Taliban's ruling that women could no more be treated by male doctors, insisted to be named. So did&nbsp;Nargis, a school teacher from Jalalabad; and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-women-speak-to-wion-as-taliban-dismantles-their-right-to-education-campus-after-campus-545841">Sana Siddiqui</a>, a law student from Jalalabad— all voiced themselves out to WION with their real identities.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH&nbsp;</strong>|&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-new-diktat-for-afghan-women-552087">Gravitas: New diktat for Afghan women</a></strong></p>

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<p>About 3800 miles northwest of Kabul, in Austria's Vienna — the city that lends its name to the most important of all international relations documents in the form of 'Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations' — the sentiment of voicing out identifiable resistance against Taliban-led government found&nbsp;resonance among hundreds of Afghan demonstrators who were gathered near State Opera House on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When the same question was posed to Stoorai Khan, 27, an Afghan national facing threat to his life back home, he immediately said with a remarkable gleam of defiance: "We cannot ask for change in hiding. Whatever we have to say against the Taliban, we must say it out in the open."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Khan was among scores of Afghan nationals demonstrating against Taliban's&nbsp;anti-women rulings in Vienna on Saturday.</p>

<p><strong>Message for Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)&nbsp;delegation</strong></p>

<p>On January 13,&nbsp;Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the 57-member states group of Islamic countries, said that Afghanistan's&nbsp;ban on women from pursuing education or working in the aid agencies is "in violation of the purposes of Islamic law and the methodology of the messenger of Allah".&nbsp; A day later, the OIC announced that it will soon send a delegation to Afghanistan to discuss women's rights to education and employment with the country's current rulers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protesters in Vienna expected the OIC to assuredly voice out that Afghan women should be able to resume the pursuit of their education.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We expect the OIC to tell them (the Taliban) that the world is a global village. The rights to pursue education and work that empower women in any Islamic country should be given to Afghan women as well," Stoorai Khan told WION in a video call from the site of&nbsp;Vienna's anti-Taliban demonstration on January 14.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There will be no one left in Afghanistan to run the system if this continues. You will just see the turban-clad, beard-stroking men," Khan added, while referring to the Taliban's way of repression of rights, which has pushed many youngsters in recent months to flee the country, often by desperate means.</p>

<p><strong>'We will not leave Afghan women alone'</strong></p>

<p>For Fauzia Ahmadzay, 27, like millions of Afghans away from Afghanistan at the current moment of repression, saying that ongoing events in Afghanistan&nbsp;are 'devastating' would be&nbsp;an understatement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's heartbreaking to see the girls crying in front of schools and helplessly saying 'we want to have education, we want to have our right for education to build our lives'," Fauzia told WION from the protest site in a video call.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Why is the world neglecting this?," she asked.</p>

<p>"Why is the world just standing by and looking at us and doing nothing?"</p>

<p>Fauzia mentioned that in Austria, many organisations are coming together to express solidarity with Afghan people. But this is not the case elsewhere, in the rest of the world.</p>

<p>“The western powers and America who started these conflicts in Afghanistan, they are not saying now that Afghan women are just like European women. That they also have their choices,” Fauzia said.</p>

<p>"It's heartbreaking that Afghans are always alone. Nobody is standing behind us to say that we are standing with you, and we can raise our voice together,” she added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"But I want to tell Afghan women that they are not alone. Every revolution starts with raised&nbsp;voices and by being aware about what is happening around us. It will get better. We won't give up."</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


One of the most common questions while reporting on conflicts or a threat-posing circumstance consists of asking the interviewee, 'Can I name you in the story?' Over the past few weeks, as Afghanistan's Taliban government dismantled women's right to education campus after campus, WION reached out to a number of Afghan women living under Taliban's anti-women tyranny.

One of the most common questions while reporting on conflicts or a threat-posing circumstance consists of asking the interviewee, 'Can I name you in the story?' Over the past few weeks, as Afghanistan's Taliban government dismantled women's right to education campus after campus, WION reached out to a number of Afghan women living under Taliban's anti-women tyranny. Every interview began with one common question, 'Can I name you in the story?' Almost all Afghan women insisted to be named despite WION offering them anonymity for their safety under Taliban's rule; a formidable sign of resistance against Afghanistan's repressive regime. Dr Sona, a doctor from Kabul who was denied a job shortly before Taliban's ruling that women could no more be treated by male doctors, insisted to be named. So did Nargis, a school teacher from Jalalabad; and Sana Siddiqui, a law student from Jalalabad— all voiced themselves out to WION with their real identities. WATCH | Gravitas: New diktat for Afghan women × About 3800 miles northwest of Kabul, in Austria's Vienna — the city that lends its name to the most important of all international relations documents in the form of 'Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations' — the sentiment of voicing out identifiable resistance against Taliban-led government found resonance among hundreds of Afghan demonstrators who were gathered near State Opera House on Saturday. When the same question was posed to Stoorai Khan, 27, an Afghan national facing threat to his life back home, he immediately said with a remarkable gleam of defiance: "We cannot ask for change in hiding. Whatever we have to say against the Taliban, we must say it out in the open." Khan was among scores of Afghan nationals demonstrating against Taliban's anti-women rulings in Vienna on Saturday. Message for Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) delegation On January 13, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the 57-member states group of Islamic countries, said that Afghanistan's ban on women from pursuing education or working in the aid agencies is "in violation of the purposes of Islamic law and the methodology of the messenger of Allah". A day later, the OIC announced that it will soon send a delegation to Afghanistan to discuss women's rights to education and employment with the country's current rulers. The protesters in Vienna expected the OIC to assuredly voice out that Afghan women should be able to resume the pursuit of their education. "We expect the OIC to tell them (the Taliban) that the world is a global village. The rights to pursue education and work that empower women in any Islamic country should be given to Afghan women as well," Stoorai Khan told WION in a video call from the site of Vienna's anti-Taliban demonstration on January 14. "There will be no one left in Afghanistan to run the system if this continues. You will just see the turban-clad, beard-stroking men," Khan added, while referring to the Taliban's way of repression of rights, which has pushed many youngsters in recent months to flee the country, often by desperate means. 'We will not leave Afghan women alone' For Fauzia Ahmadzay, 27, like millions of Afghans away from Afghanistan at the current moment of repression, saying that ongoing events in Afghanistan are 'devastating' would be an understatement. "It's heartbreaking to see the girls crying in front of schools and helplessly saying 'we want to have education, we want to have our right for education to build our lives'," Fauzia told WION from the protest site in a video call. "Why is the world neglecting this?," she asked. "Why is the world just standing by and looking at us and doing nothing?" Fauzia mentioned that in Austria, many organisations are coming together to express solidarity with Afghan people. But this is not the case elsewhere, in the rest of the world. “The western powers and America who started these conflicts in Afghanistan, they are not saying now that Afghan women are just like European women. That they also have their choices,” Fauzia said. "It's heartbreaking that Afghans are always alone. Nobody is standing behind us to say that we are standing with you, and we can raise our voice together,” she added. "But I want to tell Afghan women that they are not alone. Every revolution starts with raised voices and by being aware about what is happening around us. It will get better. We won't give up." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Exclusive: 'Why is the world neglecting Afghan women?'

<p>Just a few days after Afghanistan's Taliban leaders issued a decree ordering women journalists to cover their faces on-air, their male colleagues have donned masks in solidarity.</p>

<p>On May 21, the Taliban's Ministry of Vice and Virtue ordered female presenters on all TV channels to cover their faces while presenting on-screen. The ministry called this a "final and non-negotiable verdict".</p>

<p>This follows a similar diktat that was issued on May 9, ordering women and older girls to cover themselves from head to toe, including their faces while in public. As per the decree, punishment for violation of this order will be inflicted on male family members.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Taliban brings back Blue Burkha in Afghanistan, new decree sparks concerns</strong></p>

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<p>As per Human Rights Watch, the rule blatantly ignores women's right to freedom of expression, personal autonomy and religious beliefs.</p>

<p>Not only that, but this step also poses a problem for the audience. For those who are hard of hearing or suffer from other hearing impediments, visual cues and lip-reading were one way of gaining information which will now be curtailed.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-female-tv-presenters-cover-faces-after-new-taliban-rule-481456">Afghan female TV presenters cover faces after new Taliban rule</a></strong></p>

<p>In response to this order, a social media campaign #FreeHerFace has also gained traction. It features not only male presenters, but also people from all walks of life submitting selfies/photos with the hashtag to show solidarity.</p>

<p>As one Twitter user wrote "Afghan men showing up for Afghan women is not just a gesture. It’s a turn in the story that will change everything. Brave brothers."</p>

<p><img alt="As per Human Rights Watch, the rule blatantly ignores women's right to freedom of expression, personal autonomy and religious beliefs." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="42c686a5-503c-433e-9f0c-d962f7a3d6be" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%284%29_130.jpg" /></p>

<p>When it took over the country in August of last year, the Taliban appeared to have softened its restrictions, establishing no clothing code for women.</p>

<p>However, in recent weeks, they have made a sudden, hard-line pivot, confirming rights groups' worst worries.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taliban-want-to-erase-women-from-public-life-in-afghanistan-malala-yousafzai-477746">Taliban want to erase women from public life in Afghanistan: Malala Yousafzai</a></strong></p>

<p>During the Taliban's first term in office, from 1996 to 2001, they imposed severe restrictions on women, including making them wear the burqa, which even covered their eyes with a mesh. They also prohibited them from participating in public life and receiving an education.</p>

<p>Take a look at some tweets from #FreeHerFace campaign:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In solidarity with Afghan women journalists, our male colleagues wore masks <a href="https://twitter.com/dwnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dwnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Freeherface?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Freeherface</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UN_Women?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN_Women</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hrw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hrw</a> <a href="https://t.co/51FZvypOBf">pic.twitter.com/51FZvypOBf</a></p>
— Shabnam Alokozay (@dwalokozai) <a href="https://twitter.com/dwalokozai/status/1528727475815079937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A solidarity with Afghan journalist <a href="https://t.co/kYtL32Qu53">pic.twitter.com/kYtL32Qu53</a></p>
— Shahid Jan (@shahidjan612) <a href="https://twitter.com/shahidjan612/status/1528833156492967936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> is at war and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghan</a> women are on the frontline. Ordering <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghan</a> female journalists to cover their faces on-air is yet another step towards making women invisible and unheard. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/freeherface?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#freeherface</a> <a href="https://t.co/CIFuoH7eeN">pic.twitter.com/CIFuoH7eeN</a></p>
— Nazifa Alizada (@AlizadaNazifa) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlizadaNazifa/status/1528825478508838912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Since the Taliban have ordered female Afghan TV presenters to cover their faces while on air, members of DW Dari/Pashto service gathered today for a group photo in a show of solidarity, with male colleagues wearing masks as a statement. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeHerFace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeHerFace</a> <a href="https://t.co/B0lneRpnyZ">pic.twitter.com/B0lneRpnyZ</a></p>
— DW Deutsche Welle (@DeutscheWelle) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeutscheWelle/status/1528748837728309252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A small gesture of solidarity with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/afghanwomen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#afghanwomen</a> and the brave Afghan journalists standing up for their rights <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/freeherface?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#freeherface</a> <a href="https://t.co/nOJer7x3Ms">https://t.co/nOJer7x3Ms</a> <a href="https://t.co/pEJHAv6TfF">pic.twitter.com/pEJHAv6TfF</a></p>
— Andrew North (@NorthAndrew) <a href="https://twitter.com/NorthAndrew/status/1528681790650601475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>Watch WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Just a few days after Afghanistan's Taliban leaders issued a decree ordering women journalists to cover their faces on-air, their male colleagues have donned masks in solidarity.

Just a few days after Afghanistan's Taliban leaders issued a decree ordering women journalists to cover their faces on-air, their male colleagues have donned masks in solidarity. On May 21, the Taliban's Ministry of Vice and Virtue ordered female presenters on all TV channels to cover their faces while presenting on-screen. The ministry called this a "final and non-negotiable verdict". This follows a similar diktat that was issued on May 9, ordering women and older girls to cover themselves from head to toe, including their faces while in public. As per the decree, punishment for violation of this order will be inflicted on male family members. Watch | Taliban brings back Blue Burkha in Afghanistan, new decree sparks concerns As per Human Rights Watch, the rule blatantly ignores women's right to freedom of expression, personal autonomy and religious beliefs. Not only that, but this step also poses a problem for the audience. For those who are hard of hearing or suffer from other hearing impediments, visual cues and lip-reading were one way of gaining information which will now be curtailed. Also read | Afghan female TV presenters cover faces after new Taliban rule In response to this order, a social media campaign #FreeHerFace has also gained traction. It features not only male presenters, but also people from all walks of life submitting selfies/photos with the hashtag to show solidarity. As one Twitter user wrote "Afghan men showing up for Afghan women is not just a gesture. It’s a turn in the story that will change everything. Brave brothers." When it took over the country in August of last year, the Taliban appeared to have softened its restrictions, establishing no clothing code for women. However, in recent weeks, they have made a sudden, hard-line pivot, confirming rights groups' worst worries. Also read | Taliban want to erase women from public life in Afghanistan: Malala Yousafzai During the Taliban's first term in office, from 1996 to 2001, they imposed severe restrictions on women, including making them wear the burqa, which even covered their eyes with a mesh. They also prohibited them from participating in public life and receiving an education. Take a look at some tweets from #FreeHerFace campaign: In solidarity with Afghan women journalists, our male colleagues wore masks @dwnews #Afghanistan #Freeherface @UN_Women @hrw pic.twitter.com/51FZvypOBf — Shabnam Alokozay (@dwalokozai) May 23, 2022 × A solidarity with Afghan journalist pic.twitter.com/kYtL32Qu53 — Shahid Jan (@shahidjan612) May 23, 2022 × #Afghanistan is at war and #Afghan women are on the frontline. Ordering #Afghan female journalists to cover their faces on-air is yet another step towards making women invisible and unheard. #freeherface pic.twitter.com/CIFuoH7eeN — Nazifa Alizada (@AlizadaNazifa) May 23, 2022 × Since the Taliban have ordered female Afghan TV presenters to cover their faces while on air, members of DW Dari/Pashto service gathered today for a group photo in a show of solidarity, with male colleagues wearing masks as a statement. #FreeHerFace pic.twitter.com/B0lneRpnyZ — DW Deutsche Welle (@DeutscheWelle) May 23, 2022 × A small gesture of solidarity with #afghanwomen and the brave Afghan journalists standing up for their rights #freeherface https://t.co/nOJer7x3Ms pic.twitter.com/pEJHAv6TfF — Andrew North (@NorthAndrew) May 23, 2022 × (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

#FreeHerFace: Afghan male journalists stand in solidarity with their female colleagues

The Taliban has now promised to honour the rights of its people especially women, and it is being said that they would enjoy the same rights that they did before the Taliban stormed to power.

Afghanistan: Afghan girls urge Taliban to not snatch their education