INTERNATIONAL WOMEN"S DAY

In some countries calling and identifying a woman in public by her first name is taboo. Indeed in many parts of Afghanistan it is considered a disgrace for men if their mother, sister, wife or daughter's first name is known to men outside their family. It is not a legal ban, but rather a cultural barrier.
On everything from wedding invitations to gravestones, women's names are left off - they are usually referred to simply as 'the daughter of Mr X', or simply, 'Miss'. In public women are simply referred to as 'the wife of', 'the mother of', or 'the daughter of', a man.
Last year Afghan women started an online campaign called #WhereIsMyName, aimed at breaking this taboo and reclaiming women's identities.
In many communities in Arabic cultures, women who have been raped are seen as a source of shame for their families and so the crime is hidden to avoid a scandal. Women are neither socially nor legally supported to speak up and the rapists who are identified are legally exempt from punishment if they marry their victims.
It is not easy to explain how powerful this patriarchal mindset is, but it lives in a context in which sex outside of marriage is not acceptable for women. Indeed in many cultures, being a virgin is a prerequisite for future wives.

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