The champions of freedom in Tajikistan

In a country where women still face deeply rooted patriarchal traditions, we hear the stories of a singer who mixes languages to convey a message of peace and freedom, a lawyer at the forefront of defending human rights, and a poet who denounces the “spiritual void” of a society that publicly glorifies men in power.

Dushanbe (AsiaNews) - Tajikistan is perhaps the most conservative of the Central Asian countries, with patriarchal traditions deeply rooted in its Persian origins, Islamic religion, and Soviet heritage.

Yet it is precisely in this country that there are several examples of women who refuse to submit to restrictive rules, even at the cost of suffering humiliation and ridicule, and attempts to “put them in their place.” . Even the March 8 holiday is celebrated here as ‘Mother's Day’ rather than Women's Day, yet for the occasion, Azattlyk Asia has highlighted some very significant women's stories.

One of the most striking is certainly that of Russian singer Maniža Sangin, known simply as Manizha, who was born in Dushanbe and moved to Moscow with her family following the civil war in the early years after the end of the USSR, and who then became a “troublesome character” for both her country of origin and her host country. She herself says she is “made up of three languages,” Tajik, Russian, and English, not only from a biographical and linguistic point of view, but as a “crossroads of cultures” in which to find herself. At concerts, she sings in all three languages, which gives her a unique style on an international level.

At the beginning of her career, Manizha performed in the pop project Ru.Kola, where she sang very catchy and superficial melodies, until at a certain point she began to compose her own songs, becoming a very special phenomenon, singing at Eurovision -2021 for Russia with the song Russian Woman, whose lyrics celebrate female strength and freedom of choice, sparking a flood of criticism not only for its feminist stance, but also because, according to Russians, “a Tajik cannot represent Russia.”

When her image appeared on billboards in Times Square in New York, the debate reignited on Tajik social media, with some expressing pride and others accusing her of showing shameful parts of her body under her national dress, thereby tarnishing sacred traditions. Manizha later became a highly influential political figure, condemning the Russian war in Ukraine with her song Soldat, to the point of being investigated in Moscow for “justifying terrorism” after the attack on Krokus City Hall, attributed to Tajiks.

Ojnikhol Bobonazarova is very active in Tajikistan as a lawyer, human rights activist, and publicist in a society where people prefer to speak very cautiously or remain completely silent. Bobonazarova heads the Perspektiva+ association, which helps people in need, from migrant workers to women who do not receive alimony from their ex-husbands, and even ran for president after much persecution, including a long period of detention. In 2014, she received the International Women of Courage Award, presented to her directly by US First Lady Michelle Obama.

Among the many stories collected, it is also worth mentioning that of Gulrukhsor Safieva (pictured), a popular poet from Tajikistan who has published dozens of collections, plays, and novels since Soviet times. Her name is also associated with numerous interventions on social issues, often criticizing the excessive public glorification of men in power, which in her opinion represents “the worst expression of human character.” In her words, “in those societies where only praise and paeans are heard, poverty and despair actually reign, because success is only the goal of greedy and selfish people.”

Safieva speaks openly about the conditions of misery and spiritual emptiness of the majority of the Tajik population, also criticizing the passive attitude of those who simply “line up to get some subsidies,” when radical reforms are needed to restore dignity to all citizens, to “walk on their own two feet.”

These and other Tajik women insist on finding “inner freedom” even in the most closed and oppressive societies, relying not only on the help of others, but on their own values, experiencing them in the conditions of real society even in dramatic times such as those they are going through in recent years, without waiting for an ideal future.