Wearing the veil - Burka - Niqab

there are very suitable ways of wearing the veil - Chador, Khimar, Shayla, Al-amira and Hijab.
these ways do not completely cover the face.
Women in the UK used to wear head scarfs in the seventies. They were really common.

What I cannot understand is the hiding of your face.
If I told my Mother and Sister to wear a mask to hide their features it would take away a large
part of their identity. They wouldn't be recognized in the street by their neighbours. people wouldn't
be able to converse without picking up visual cues - smiling frowning etc. It's part of communicating.

If you want to progress in the western society - be a politician? or an actor? being well known is a factor.
If you can't be recognized ... who are you? you are nobody.

If i open a book and see black bars across the text - i can't understand the book.
it's called redaction.

the Muslim men don't wear face coverings to hide their features - why not?  why only women?