Afghan female TV journalists to wear less makeup
Afghan female television journalists must wear little makeup and always a headscarf in front of the camera. The Ministry of Culture and Information issued a corresponding instruction to several television stations. The reason given is "respect for Islamic and Afghan culture.
"All TV channels are strictly urged to stop allowing female presenters to appear on screen without headscarves and wearing too much makeup," the letter to the channels said, according to a spokesman. The spokesman said that according to Islamic laws prevailing in Afghanistan, women may only appear in public wearing headscarves, and their ears must be covered. This rule also applies to women working in television, he added. According to the statement, the letter followed a complaint from the Ulema Council, the highest religious body in Afghanistan.
Since the fall of the radical Islamic Taliban ten years ago, the situation of women in Afghanistan has improved noticeably, especially in the large cities. In rural areas, however, women are often still denied basic rights. As recently as the end of January, an Afghan man beat his wife to death because she had given birth to a third girl, but he wanted a son. The independent Afghan Human Rights Commission counted more than 1,000 cases of violence against women in the first half of 2011 alone.
According to a study published in October by the aid organization Oxfam, 87 percent of the women surveyed said they had already suffered physical, sexual or psychological violence or had been forcibly married. (SDA/AFP)
