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U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) forms part of a global group of women who have shamed the recent Taliban order confining women in their homes while the force trains its members to properly treat Afghan women.
"I share the outrage of women the world over at the pronouncements of the Taliban that women should stay home, not work and not try to involve themselves in public life,” Jackson Lee wrote on Twitter. “Global community must stand united in fiercely opposing this edict."
The restriction was confirmed by a Taliban spokesman who stated that the military organization’s new authorities intend to implement a system that will ensure women’s safety.
"It's a very temporary procedure," the spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said.
The last time the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the organization was overpowered by U.S. forces as a result of the 9/11 attacks. This time around, the organization vows to respect women’s rights, a related press release states.
When the Taliban last took over Afghanistan more than two decades ago, similar laws were implemented against women, restricting them from numerous social activities and requiring them to wear burqas, the BBC reports. According to AP News, the UN has already reported credible cases of abuse against women on behalf of the Taliban.
The rule was announced amid an ongoing US-led evacuation taking place in Kabul airport, which recently turned brutal in an attack attributed to ISIS, which claimed the lives of dozens of people, including a dozen U.S officials. The initiative has been responsible for the evacuation of approximately 58,700 people so far, with more expected to flee through the ending date of the mission, set for Aug. 31.