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She was born on June 10, 1948, in a mountain village in southern Tajikistan. Graduating from the law faculty of the Tajik State University in 1971, she went on to pursue her postgraduate studies at the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan from 1971 to 1976, earning a candidate of legal sciences degree

She was born on June 10, 1948, in a mountain village in southern Tajikistan. Graduating from the law faculty of the Tajik State University in 1971, she went on to pursue her postgraduate studies at the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan from 1971 to 1976, earning a candidate of legal sciences degree

Early Life and Awakening Talent
Ayimkhan Shamuratova
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activist

lawyer

politician

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leader

Hero`s gallery

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From 1976 to 1989, she worked as a lecturer and later served as the dean of the law faculty at the Tajik National University from 1989 to 1992.

From 1996 to 2004, she held the position of advisor on human rights at the Tajik representation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

In 1997, she was nominated for the position of deputy prosecutor general representing the "United Tajik Opposition" quota, but declined the appointment.

Early Life and Awakening Talent
Ayimkhan Shamuratova
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From 1996 to 2007, she chaired the board of the Tajik branch of the Open Society Institute - Soros Foundation in Tajikistan. Since 2007, she has headed the public association "Perspective+", which is engaged in monitoring the situation in prisons, combating torture, and advocating for the rights of women and migrant workers. In 1990, she joined the Democratic Party of Tajikistan.

Early Life and Awakening Talent
Ayimkhan Shamuratova
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Oinikhol Bobonazarova, a prominent Tajik human rights activist, has won the International Women of Courage Award. She was named a “Woman of Courage” and felicitated by United States First Lady Michelle Obama in Washington, DC, on March 4. The US Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award was established in 2007.

The award “honors women around the globe who have exemplified exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights, women’s equality, and social progress, often at great personal risk”. Bobonazarova is the first Tajik woman to receive the award.

Early Life and Awakening Talent
Ayimkhan Shamuratova
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Since the Tajik civil war ended in 1997, Oinikhol Bobonazarova has worked tirelessly to draw attention to women’s rights, torture in detention centers, and the plight of Tajik migrant laborers. In September 2013, Ms. Bobonazarova became the first ever female candidate for President of Tajikistan when the only Islamic political party in Central Asia nominated her as its standard bearer

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Ayimkhan Shamuratova
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Despite an unsuccessful bid, her nomination shattered one of the highest of glass ceilings and set an important precedent for women in politics. In the time since, she has continued to speak out against torture and has been instrumental in working to establish the first independent prison monitoring program since prisons were closed to outside access in 2004.

Early Life and Awakening Talent
Ayimkhan Shamuratova
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Known mostly for her human rights activism, Bobonazarova entered the political scene in September 2013 when a coalition of opposition parties nominated her as their candidate for president. The nomination was met with both praise and criticism among social media users in Tajikistan. Despite the support from the country's two main opposition parties, Bobonazarova failed to collect enough signatures to enter the presidential race officially. She put the blame on the government, announcing that the “whole state machine” had been mobilized to prevent her from running against the country's veteran president Emomali Rahmon.

Early Life and Awakening Talent
Ayimkhan Shamuratova
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Our hero

SOURCES: AYAL CA, SHAMURATOVA.UZ, ASIA PLUS, TASHKENT RETROSPECTIVE, CULTURE OEUVRE, WOMEN OF KAZAKHSTAN