Aisha Salaudeen narrates encounter with immigration officers who berated her for not bearing her husband’s name

Journalist Aisha Salaudeen was judged harshly by immigration staff for not bearing her husband’s name when she went to renew her international passport recently.

They didn’t understand that change of name is not what she wants to do as her name bears her achievements, failures and experiences.

It is even funny that one of the women in the immigration office expressed shock that she didn’t change her state of origin to that of her husband. I don’t understand. Should women change their state of origin too because of marriage.

Aisha Salaudeen wrote:

“I was judged harshly by immigration staff when I went to renew my international passport for keeping my name. Refusing to bear my husband’s name was so bizarre to them that they refused to shut up about it.

And I don’t get it. Change of name is so random to me. This is the name I have had my entire life, all my achievements, failures and experiences are contained in this name. I want to keep it, why is that such a problem?

One of the women even expressed shock that I hadn’t changed my state of origin to that of my husband’s. It feels almost ridiculous that women have to fight to keep their identities, who they are. Why must everything be tied to a man?

I am an individual with agency. I want a country where something as simple as keeping one’s name won’t be seen as an act of rebellion. I want to hold on to the name I’ve had since birth, it should be that simple.”

My Take

It is not part of the job description of immigration officers to berate women for the choices they make with their names after marriage.

A woman is a complete being married or not and a woman’s state of origin shouldn’t automatically change to that of her husband. This one is a whole new level of foolishness.