Their Identities Denied, Afghan Women Ask, ‘Where Is My Name?’
- namesandidentity
- Aug 1, 2017
- 1 min read
In India, it is taboo in some regions for women to utter their husbands' names in public and a current social media campaign is challenging this tradition (link to previous post here). Meanwhile, this article highlights another social media campaign, this time in Afghanistan, where men do not say their wives' names in public. In both cases, the taboo is traditionally said to honour the unnamed person; however, both articles claim that the practice is oppressive for women: denying them agency in India and denying them identity in Afghanistan. And in both cases, it is the men who are reported to be against the change to more open naming practices. Together, the articles are a good illustration of the power of names and the cultural specificity of naming practices.
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