Afghanistan's state television, under Taliban’s control, expurgated the face of Roza Otunbayeva, the United Nations Secretary-General's Representative for Afghanistan, during her meeting with the Taliban's Minister of Agriculture on Monday.
A photo published on their social media showed Otunbayeva's face covered, marking the first time the Taliban have censored a UN official's image in their media handouts.
This act aligns with the Taliban's broader restrictions on women's representation in media. Over the past two years, female journalists have been required to cover their bodies and faces, with only their eyes visible, following a decree from the Taliban. Media outlets have also been pressured not to broadcast women's voices.
Since their takeover of Kabul, the Taliban have systematically removed images of women from public spaces, including beauty salons and shops.
In recent months, the Taliban's enforcement of their prescribed hijab on women and girls has intensified, leading to several arrests. The group insists that women's hijab should only reveal their eyes and has threatened to imprison relatives of women who do not comply with this directive.
Human rights organisations have condemned these measures as an effort to erase Afghan women from public life and confine them to their homes.
