Credit: Magda Klimczak
News
A new women-led photography exhibition will celebrate women refugees from across the world
1 year ago
2 min read
Organised by ActionAid UK, Women By Women will unveil a new collection of photos this International Women’s Day that aims to celebrate women refugees from across the world.
A new women-led photography exhibition is coming to London later this week with the aim of shattering stereotypes and celebrating women refugees from across the world. Organised by ActionAid UK, Women By Women will unveil a new collection of photos this International Women’s Day that highlight the contributions refugees make to societies.
The free exhibition will be held in Oxo Tower Wharf’s gallery@oxo from 7–10 March and will showcase the work of photographers from five countries who tell the stories of 21 women refugees.
Credit: Laura Rios
Credit: Esther Mbabazi
From the Rohingya women living in Bangladesh who have trained as lifeguards to protect children in the community to the activists in Uganda’s refugee settlements who are teaching girls how to make their own reusable period products, each of these women has a unique story that will be told through photography.
Yasmina, from Syria, survived detention by the Syrian regime and was released from prison in 2014. She’s now living in Turkey and works as a human rights defender, journalist, researcher and the CEO of Freedom Jasmine – an organisation that provides life-saving services to Syrian refugees, including psychosocial support and skills training.
Yasmina said: “After the [February 2023] earthquake we supported around 500 women in Syria and in Turkey with food parcels, dignity kits and other emergency supplies. Many of these women then joined our training workshops and some of them are now leaders within their communities.”
Credit: Magda Klimczak
In Poland, photographer Magda Klimczak captured images of women refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran, who are all supported by Conflict Kitchen, a women-led social foundation and bistro in Warsaw.
Speaking about the upcoming exhibition, Klimczak said: “Each of our heroines was unique; each had different motivations and transitions, but for each one, this session was something special. Being a woman in front of a woman’s lens, feeling heard and important, gave them back their dignity.”
Credit: Fabeha Monir
In platforming groups such as Freedom Jasmine and Conflict Kitchen, the exhibition highlights the vital and urgent need for more funding for women-led organisations, which currently receive just 1% of gender equality funding.
“We must create more space for refugee women to tell their own unique stories and celebrate their special contributions… In doing so, we shine a light on the incredible women-led organisations that are an invaluable lifeline to women refugees in the hope that their chronic underfunding is addressed so they can continue to uplift and empower women refugees,” said Taahra Ghazi, director of innovation at ActionAid UK.
Images: Laura Rios; Esther Mbabazi; Magda Klimczak; Fabeha Monir
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