The photographic exhibition ”Iraq through the eyes of women photographers” opened on February 21 in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
As the lights were dimmed, Qassim Khidhir, project manager at Framing Journalism School, informed the audience that the exhibition was part of a collaboration with the aim to train and publish the works of female Iraqi photojournalists. Because photography has generally been viewed as a male pursuit in Iraqi society, women have not been permitted to become photographers. This project is to provide Iraqi women with the means to inhabit these spaces.
The lights were then turned up, and the photographers took the audience through their photo narratives. Vin Mahmoud, one of the photographers from the city of Duhok, was telling the audience, ”This is the story of a Yezidi girl who was attacked by ISIS in 2014; despite the difficulties, she now has her own business in the IDP camp where she resides.”
The exhibition fascinated Nergiz Ahmed, 27, for two reasons: first, all of the photographers are women, and second, their stories are courageous and affecting.
”We rarely encounter female photojournalists in Iraq, so it’s nice to see that all of the photographers in this exhibition are women, and it was a pleasure to learn about their stories,” Nergiz Ahmed, said.
The exhibition will be on display at the Framing Photojournalism School in Erbil until the end of February 2023.
The exhibition is a joint project between Framing Photojournalism School and Global Reporting, and the project is financed by the Swedish Institute.
The Editorial Team
View the exhibition here
