Alliance Francaise Banjul in partnership with the French Embassy in Senegal and Gambia holds a special photo exhibition telling chilling and diverse stories and testimonies of FGM survivors and those leading advocacy efforts to bring an end to the practice.
Paris-based documentary photographer and visual storyteller, Nadia Ferroukhi created the portraits following her one-month artistic residency program at the Alliance.
Nadia collaborated with Gambian organisations Women in Liberation & Leadership WIlLL, Girl’s Pride Gambia and Women’s Association for Victims’ Empowerment WAVE as part of a project funded by the French Embassy aimed at promoting women’s expression through arts, culture, debate and entrepreneurship.
The stories give a visual narrative of personal insight into the challenges, experiences and struggles against FGM.
In the same, award winning Senegalese photographer Ina Makosi was also invited by Alliance Francaise for an artistic residency to work on a photographic project dubbed; “emancipation of Gambian.”
Her work showcased the reality and unique diversity of women in business such as horticulture and fisheries including testimonies of women engaged in fish smoking and drying in Tanji and Gunjur.
French Charge de Affaires in Banjul Stephane Dovert said; “We are very proud to have organised this great exhibition. This is very useful to all of us. It demonstrates emotion, patience, quality and talent and gives us a fresh vision to continue supporting women empowerment in the Gambia.”
He hailed the two photographers for their vision and readiness to amplify voices of women.
The French diplomat also charged that mutilation of kids, young ladies and babies is “unacceptable” despite whatever reasons one gives to it. “This is not just a female affair. It is a societal problem and men have to be more committed in the fight against those mutilations.”
For Ina Makosi, the residency availed her opportunity to learn a lot about daily lives of Gambian women in fashions, designs, agriculture, commerce and entrepreneurship.
“I learned a lot culturally. And as a photographer it’s not just about taking pictures and exhibiting them, it’s the moment of making contact with the person, the stories we share and the strength we give to each other until we get to the image. What I love is the process and I loved that here” Ina added.
French photographer Nadia Ferroukhi said; “FGM is a very touchy subject. It was not easy to find an angle on which I can tell the stories of these women so I decided to do portraits and listen to the stories. I am very happy to have done this project. I have been working on women issues for the past 15 years and for me this is a continuation of that work. The stories are diverse but what is clear was that all the people who worked on this project are very active in the direction to stop FGM.
