Photos of the Week
Enter
Stirring Photographs Document The Many Women Imprisoned In Afghanistan
Most women incarcerated in Afghanistan have been convicted of so-called "moral crimes." Examples of such indiscretions include sex out of wedlock and running away from forced marriages, prostitution, domestic slavery, physical violence generally conducted by their husbands, and rape or involuntary pregnancy. Most often, the assailants involved continue life without facing any consequences.
In 2010, Polish-Canadian photographer Gabriela Maj visited one of the various women's prisons in Afghanistan and was overwhelmed by the inmates' desires to share their stories, sometimes for the first time. This visit turned into a five-year photography project, capturing portraits of the remarkable women trapped in an unjust system.
Maj's portraits document women in the spaces they've turned their own. Although Afghanistan's prisons, adorned with bright colors and personal tchotchkes, look more like teenager's bedrooms than Western prisons, they still contain horrific realities for their inmates, who often suffer from physical and emotional trauma, as well as the very real fear that when they're released, they will no longer have the support of their families.
The compelling and heartbreaking visual journey will be available in its entirety in Maj's upcoming book Almond Garden, published by Daylight Books. At once a historical archive, a moving portrait and a call to action, the photographic series captures the beauty of the human spirit even in the most nightmarish of circumstances.
Voices
Exit
Enter
Second prize in "places": Mont Saint Michel in Normandie, France
Wanaiifilms / Dronestagram