The photo of an Afghan woman walking the streets of Kabul in a mid-length dress with her bare legs showing has gone viral.
"I was shocked," said local journalist Hayat Ensafi, who snapped the photo. "I knew I had to catch this special moment because I never saw a woman here walking down the streets like this."
Mr. Ensafi told the BBC that the woman "walked very fast" and didn't want to speak with him when he caught up to her."The whole city of Kabul is shocked," he said.
Women face severe restrictions on clothing and movement in Afghanistan. After Mr. Hayat posted the photo on Facebook, thousands of people shared and commented on it.
"We have seen thousands of people talk about it," the BBC's Syed Anwar in Kabul said. "Not only on social media but also in the streets people are talking about her, wondering if she is mentally ill or if she is protesting.
"It's risky for women to walk bare-legged in Kabul," he added. "At the same time, some people have argued that [dressing like this] can pave the way for Taliban propaganda."
Afghan woman showing bare legs shocks Kabul - Washington Times