'They want to erase women from public life': Malala Yousafzai on Taliban's burqa diktat

Women's rights activist Malala Yousafzai has slammed the Taliban for ordering Afghanistan women to cover themselves up from head to toe.

The Nobel Peace Laureate tweeted that the Taliban wants to erase girls and women from all public life in Afghanistan. She added that hardline group wants to keep girls out of school and women out of work and also deny them the ability to travel without a male family member.

She further tweeted that the world must not lose their sense of alarm for Afghan women as Taliban will continue to break their promise.

Malala added that as women continue to take to the streets to fight for their rights, the world, especially people from Muslim countries, must stand with them.

The Taliban diktat calls for women to only show their eyes and recommends they wear the head-to-toe burqa. It also says that women should leave the home only when necessary, and that male relatives would face punishment — starting with a summons and escalating up to court hearings and jail time — for women's dress code violations.

It was the latest in a series of repressive edicts issued by the Taliban leadership, not all of which have been implemented. Last month for example the Taliban forbade women to travel alone, but after a day of opposition, that has since been silently ignored.

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The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it was deeply concerned with what appeared to be a formal directive that would be implemented and enforced, adding that it would seek clarifications from the Taliban about the decision.

“This decision contradicts numerous assurances regarding respect for and protection of all Afghans' human rights, including those of women and girls, that had been provided to the international community by Taliban representatives during discussions and negotiations over the past decade,” it said in a statement.