Is this the identity of one of Eritrea's most iconic images?

Photo on the left: Picture of Lemlem in Afabet, Eritrea in 1988. (Credit: Jenny Mattews) - Photo on the right: Lemlem decades later

Updated: 12 March 2014, 6:25 EST: It has been confirmed by someone who knows Lemlem very well that these two images are of the same person.


Is this the identity of one of Eritrea's most iconic images?

Are these two women the same person? An a man with the Facebook account "Hello Eri-Unity" seems to think so. He posted this image the other day in connection with International Women's Day after claiming the lady on the right is the iconic EPLF fighter named Lemlem..

But is this really Lemlem?

The physical similarities are certainly there. Her nose, lips and even the small bags under her eyes appear to match that of the younger Lemlem. And assuming Lemlem was in her late 20s or early 30s when this image was taken (1988), then it becomes plausible to believe the Lemlem on the right would be in the same age group as her today.

The few information we did receive from people claiming to know the woman on the right came from two Eritreans on Facebook. They claimed the woman's name is Lemlem and she lives in Sweden. But when these individuals were asked to provide a last name, none of them seemed to know it. Granted, it's not unusual to know someone and not know their last name, but it does leave room for much skepticism.

One doubt that comes to mind is if this is really Lemlem, then how was she oblivious to all the attention she was receiving? Ever since Jenny Mattews had taken her image in Afabet in 1988, Lemlem's image has been reproduced in newspapers, magazines and on the cover of Matthew's book, “Women and War”. More recently, after observing her image and becoming curious about her story, Diallo Hall, an American economist, started Eritrea's first ever “trending topic”on Twitter: #whereislemlem? He also had his friend, Barry Malone, write an article about her for Retuers in 2010 titled "where is Lemlem?".

Perhaps Lemlem was aware of the attention her image had received but didn't want to share her story with strangers? It isn't uncommon for people who were in the struggle wanting to leave that part of their lives in the past. So if that's what she and her family chooses, then we should respect it. But if Lemlem is okay with sharing her story, then the Eritrean community in Sweden should make an effort to contact her.

After all, Lemlem's iconic image isn't just a brave woman sacrificing herself for her country. Her image came to symbolize women's rights and gender equality. Her defiance of outdated cultural values of what a woman's traditional roles in society are supposed to be helped pave the way for women after her to be treated as equals. And that is a story we must never forget to share.


Related reading: Beni-Amer boy: Eritrea's most iconic image

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