Lalah Osmany (Pashto: لاله عثمانی; born 1992) is a women's rights activist from Afghanistan, who founded the social media campaign #WhereIsMyName, which opposes the tradition that women's names were not used publicly in Afghanistan. For her work she was recognised among the BBC's 100 Women in 2020.
Lalah Osmany | |
|---|---|
| لاله عثمانی | |
| Born | 1992 (age 31–32) Afghanistan |
| Nationality | Afghan |
| Citizenship | Afghanistan, Germany |
| Alma mater | Herat University |
| Occupation(s) | Women's rights activist; lawyer |
| Known for | "#WhereIsMyName" social media campaign |
Biography
editOsmany was born in 1992 in Afghanistan; she later studied Islamic Law at Herat University.[1] In 2017 she co-founded the #WhereIsMyName social media campaign with Tahmineh Rashiq.[2] The campaign was set up in protest against the fact that in Afghanistan, women traditionally had no right for their names to be used in public.[3] This custom meant that women's names did not appear on official documents such as birth or death certificates, and not even on her tombstone.[4][5]
Mary Akrami, the chair of the Afghanistan's Women Network, described the news of the change in the law as a “positive step toward establishing women’s identity".[1] Fawzia Koofi, an Afghan former MP and women's rights activist, said that the change was "not a matter of women's rights – it's a legal right, a human right".[6] Other supporters of Osmany's work include Farhad Darya, the singer-songwriter Aryana Sayeed, and the MP Maryam Sama.[6]
However the change in law was not welcomed by some, who see it as disrespectful to Afghan values or an action taken to appease the USA.[1] The Taliban, who is 2020 were in talks with the Afghan government about power-sharing, oppose the inclusion of women's names on identity cards.[3] In addition, Osmany has received threats of violence because of her role in the campaign.[1]
Osmany's contributions to women's rights in Afghanistan were acknowledged when she featured on the BBC's 100 Women list published in 2020.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "In a rare victory for Afghan women, Kabul to include mothers' name on IDs". Arab News. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ "Where Is My Name? Afghan Women Campaign To Reclaim Their Identities". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ a b Karimi, Orooj Hakimi, Storay (27 September 2020). "In the name of the mother: Afghan woman wins recognition, sparks Taliban opposition". Reuters. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Laleh Osmany". RUMI AWARDS. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ Mashal, Mujib (30 July 2017). "Their Identities Denied, Afghan Women Ask, 'Where Is My Name?' (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ a b "WhereIsMyName: Afghan women campaign for the right to reveal their names". BBC News. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ "BBC 100 Women 2020: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.