Amnesty International calls global response to Afghanistan's restrictions on women disappointing

Kabul [Afghanistan], May 24 : Amnesty International called the international community's response to Afghanistan's restrictions on women 'disappointing', a local media reported.
"I have to say that the international community's response both over the past two weeks and over the last nine months has been very disappointing. You know, I think that most of the foreign diplomats dealing with Afghanistan are men, they don't seem to be as concerned about the women's rights situation as they should be," Heather Barr, director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch said.
She further said that this is unforgivable given the role essayed by the diplomats over the last 20 years in creating the current situation, Tolo News reported.
Amnesty International said that despite the Islamic Emirate's continued assurances that they respect the rights of women and girls, still millions of women are discriminated against since the Taliban became the de-facto authorities.
The order of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue in which it asked the female presenter on the news channel need to cover their face has sparked widespread criticism national and international.
Norway Ambassador Ole Andreas Lindeman in his meetings with Islamic Emirate discussed the importance of a free press and women's equal and meaningful participation in society, according to Tolo News.
"The international organization and human rights organizations, the European Union and UNAMA should take practical steps instead of making statements," Monisa Mubariz, a women's rights activist said.
Meanwhile, TOLOnews and other TV channels in Kabul on Sunday followed an order of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue regarding covering female presenters' faces.
"Female speakers appear on television in the form of virtual images rather than real ones. Therefore, TOLO news views on this decision are still valid," TOLO News tweeted.
However, TOLO news said that the decree issued by the leadership of the Islamic Emirate on the issue of hijab does not contain any explicit recommendation to cover the faces of female speakers.
Earlier, women presenters on Afghanistan's leading TV channels went on air on Saturday without covering their faces, defying a Taliban order that they conceal their appearance.
Many TV outlets have expressed their concerns over the new decree issued by the Taliban. Shamshad TV head of news Abid Ehsas said, "Our female colleagues are concerned that if they cover their faces, the next thing they will be told is to stop working."
"This is the reason they have not observed the order so far," he added, reported Dawn citing a US-based agency.