Manizha Talash

Manizha Talash, known competitively as B-Girl Talash, is an Olympic breakdancer, human rights advocate, and fashion designer. Scouted in 2024 for her dancing ability, she became a member of the Refugee Olympic Team, going on to compete in the summer Olympics, where she made headlines around the world for wearing a repurposed burqa with the message “FREE AFGHAN WOMEN”. 

Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Manizha discovered the art of breakdancing when she was 17 through a Facebook video. Realising this was something she needed to become involved in, she sought out the man in the video and joined the breakdancing club, Superiors Crew. As the only female among 56 members, Mazinha became renowned as ‘Afghanistan’s first female breakdancer’ and suffered severe backlash from her family and death threats from the public. Her breakdancing club was targeted by three bombing attempts, two of which caused multiple tragic deaths, as well as an attempted suicide bombing, which forced the club to close. After the Taliban takeover in 2021, during which they outlawed all forms of dancing for being ‘un-Islamic’, Manizha moved to Pakistan for a year before arriving in Spain as a refugee with her brother and six other breakdancers. Developing her fashion design abilities, Manizha continued breakdancing, only to be scouted in 2024 for the Refugee Olympic Team to compete in the debut of Olympic Breakdancing in Paris. During her performance at the summer Olympics, Manizha wore a repurposed burqa with the powerful phrase: “FREE AFGHAN WOMEN”. This moment of courage, grit, and expression led to her disqualification and an intense legal battle over Olympic Rule 50. 

As a result of her human rights advocacy on the world’s stage, Manizha has been featured across a variety of media, including CNN, BBC, The Washington Post, Reuters, and Human Rights Watch. 

With bravery, tenacity, and creativity, Manizha’s impact cannot be understated. By breaking barriers as an Afghan woman in an unconventional sport, she offers audiences an insight into the power of resilience under pressure, identity and belonging, and creativity as resistance. Resonating across corporate, educational, and cultural spheres, Manizha is perfect for a multitude of engagements, from DEI events to sports conferences and human rights forums. Using movement to express her freedom, Manizha has become an influential voice for those who cannot speak up.