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Registrar General has no right to demand that married women give up their maiden name
Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA)
August 27, 2002

We note with concern that a number of women have called our offices to register their displeasure with the practice by the Registrar General requiring them to first change their surnames from their maiden ones to their married ones before they can be issued with birth certificates for their children or new passports. We would like to make it clear that there is no legal basis for this practice. Women cannot be forced to change their names simply because they are married. That should be a personal choice that one makes. Because this practice has caused serious difficulties for some women, we as ZWLA are of the view that it is high time we set the record straight once and for all through a declaratory order to the Registrar on the correct legal position from the courts. We are therefore calling on all the women who have found themselves in this position to come forward and help us challenge this practice. You can contact us on the numbers and address below.

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