Resilience – Stories of women inspiring change

Ahead of International Working Women’s Day, a special exhibition showcasing a selection of stories will be held at the India Habitat Centre on Thursday. The exhibition ‘Resilience – stories of women inspiring change’ will be organised by the World Press Photo Foundation and the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the City of The Hague.

The special exhibition showcases a selection of stories, awarded in the World Press Photo Contests from 2000 to 2021, that highlight the resilience and challenges of women, girls and communities around the world.

Gender equality and justice is a fundamental human right critical in supporting cohesive societies. Yet women around the world face deeply entrenched inequality and remain underrepresented in political and economic roles. Worldwide in 2021, women represented just 26.1% of some 35,500 parliament seats, only 22.6% of over 3,400 ministers, and 27% of all managerial positions. Violence against women prevails as a serious global health and protection issue. An estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime.

This joint exhibition conveys the commitment of the Netherlands to women’s rights and gender equality and justice. The selection of stories explores how women and gender issues have evolved in the 21st century and how photojournalism has developed in the ways of portraying them.

Finding Freedom in the Water by Anna Boyiazis, shares the story of students from the Kijini Primary School who learn to swim and perform rescues, in the Indian Ocean, off of Muyuni Beach, Zanzibar. Traditionally, girls in the Zanzibar Archipelago have been discouraged from learning how to swim, largely due to the absence of modest swimwear. The Panje Project teaches local women and girls swimming skills in an effort to reduce high rates of drowning.

Crying for Freedom by Forough Alaei documented female fans who are restricted from entering football stadiums in Iran and disguised themselves as men to enter stadiums and to advocate for women’s rights.

The Promise by Irina Werning, follows Antonella (12), who lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and vowed to cut her long hair only when she could resume in-person classes at school, which had been suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Antonella said she was offering up her most precious treasure in exchange for getting her school life back. She cut her hair on 25 September 2021, on the weekend before she returned to classes.

Other photographers highlighted in this exhibition include Finbarr O’Reilly, Maika Elan, Catalina Martin-Chico, Pablo Tosco, Olivia Harris, Terrell Groggins, Jonathan Bachman, Heba Khamis, Daniel Berehulak, Robin Hammond, Diana Markosian, Jan Grarup, Magnus Wennman, and Fulvio Bugani.

When: 3:30pm – 4:30pm, March 2
Where: India Habitat Centre