In some parts of the world, girls are as likely to be married off or trafficked as they are to be educated. Photojournalist Smita Sharma thoughtfully depicts overlooked girls and young women, while making sure not to disrupt the lives of her subjects in the process. Her work shows what might otherwise remain hidden -- the first step to changing the story.. Watch the video to learn more:
“The first step to any change is acknowledgement and awareness. Otherwise this cycle of harm will continue. These women and girls exist. The reason I’m telling you this is because we were lucky enough to be born in very comfortable circumstances. We won the birth lottery. These women have values. They exist. The least we can do is honour them and not look away.” Smita Sharma
Smita Sharma’s stunning photography of women who have been forgotten and overlooked is powerful. Her ability to capture these women’s stories with honour and dignity is true art.
The stories of these women who live thousands of miles from our homes and neighbourhoods, have many similarities to women who are part of our lives and live in our communities. They may be our friends, co-workers, sisters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers, clients - women who we know and love, who are being overlooked, unseen and silenced.
Over the past 30 years, 4,000 Indigenous women and girls have been killed or gone missing in Canada. Over the past two years, 66 women and girls in Ontario have been victims of femicide, (the intentional killing of women and girls by men because they were female). For every one woman whose life is taken, there are hundreds more who live in silence and fear - whose stories are not heard or seen.
Their stories matter. They matter. They are not invisible, yet so many are not seen.
For many women who are victims of gender-based violence the world can feel lonely and isolated. Sometimes reaching out and letting them know that you are there for them can provide tremendous relief and help them to know that they matter.
Whether we are a service provider, friend or family member, it is important to make space for their stories. To let them know they are seen. To make it possible for them to share their stories with “dignity and fairness” and provide opportunities to share when they are ready.
The first step as Smita says, “Is to not look away.”
Share in the comments section below your suggestions on how to help women and girls who are often overlooked, be seen and heard.
#femicide, #loveshouldnthurt, #humantrafficking, #genderbasedviolence