Laleh Osmany

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Laleh Osmany
لیلے عثمانی
Born1992 (age 29–30)
Afghanistan
Alma materHerat University
OccupationWomen's rights activist; lawyer
Known for"#WhereIsMyName" social media campaign

Laleh Osmany (Pashto: لیلے عثمانی; born 1992) is a women's rights activist from Afghanistan, who founded the social media #WhereIsMyName campaign which opposes the tradition that women's names were not used publicly in Afghanistan. For her work she was recognised on the BBC's 100 Women Awards in 2020.

Biography[]

Osmany 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 .[2] The campaign was set up in protest about the fact in Afghanistan, women traditionally had no right for their names 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 , 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 .[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[]

  1. ^ a b c d "In a rare victory for Afghan women, Kabul to include mothers' name on IDs". Arab News. 2020-09-07. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  2. ^ "Where Is My Name? Afghan Women Campaign To Reclaim Their Identities". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  3. ^ a b Karimi, Orooj Hakimi, Storay (2020-09-27). "In the name of the mother: Afghan woman wins recognition, sparks Taliban opposition". Reuters. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  4. ^ "Laleh Osmany". RUMI AWARDS. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  5. ^ Mashal, Mujib (2017-07-30). "Their Identities Denied, Afghan Women Ask, 'Where Is My Name?' (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  6. ^ a b "WhereIsMyName: Afghan women campaign for the right to reveal their names". BBC News. 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  7. ^ "BBC 100 Women 2020: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
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