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Farzana Wahidy
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When I was young I wanted to be an engineer, but the Taliban period was a bad time, especially for women, with restrictions in every part of our lives. After the Taliban, I felt that taste of freedom for the first time. I chose photojournalism because I thought it could be a career offering me more freedom and open the possibility of travelling alone as a woman.
When I started studying at Ainaphoto, I had little idea what photojournalism was. All I knew about photography was what you shot at family weddings. I learned that there are so many qualities in photojournalism that could help my future and my country’s future. My education at Ainaphoto exposed me to the technical challenges of using this modern digital equipment.
For me, photography is an international language for everyone. In Afghanistan the majority of the population is illiterate, so photography is a perfect medium for communication. They can read images easily and sometimes they can find more information in the photo than the photographer sees. But this depends on the photographer, the image and the audience.
I enjoy shooting stories especially about women’s issues and because I am a woman, I can gain easier access than men can. Doing stories about suicide bombings reminds me of the war; even though it can upset me, I still do them. I like photographing in the bazaar and in public because it is something that in the past was forbidden. Now I can do it easily but it is still a challenge, working as a woman photographer in our male-dominated industry.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
