Laura Boushnak: For these women, reading is a daring act
لورا بوشناق: بالنسبة لهؤلاء النسوة، القراءة فعل تحدٍّ
Laura Boushnak is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian photographer whose work focuses on women, literacy and education reform in the Arab world. Full bio
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for my projects in personal experiences.
في التجارب الشخصية
towards a better life
for my project I Read I Write.
"أنا أقرأ، أنا أكتب"
to pursue my higher education,
أن أكمل تعليمي الجامعي في بادئ الأمر
stories of other women
على تغيير حياتهن من خلال التعليم
the barriers they face.
التي واجهتهن والاستفسار عنها
that concern women's education,
التي تهم تعليم النساء
among Arab countries
بين الدول العربية
وهي نسبة مرتفعة بالمنطقة
which is quite high in the region;
وبرامج للطلاب المتسربين
programs for dropout students;
بين طلاب الجامعة
among university students.
to convince the women to participate.
قد تؤثر إيجابًا في حياة نساء أخريات
might influence other women's lives,
يحتذى بهن في مجتمعاتهن
for their own community, did some agree.
منهن على المشاركة
and reflexive approach,
their own words and ideas
على صفوف دراسية مختلفة
in some of the classrooms,
and motivate other women
and situations.
بكل شيء وأحس باستقلاليتي"
to be independent
تعاملت معهن من مصر
was Umm El-Saad from Egypt.
barely able to write her name.
كانت بالكاد تقدر أن تكتب اسمها
a nine-month literacy program
لمحو الأمية لمدة تسعة أشهر
غير الحكومية المحلية (NGO)
that her husband
out of the classes,
يا لك من مشاكسة يا أم السعد.
لانضمام أم السعد للبرنامج.
Umm El-Saad joined the program.
control over her simple daily routines,
التي نعتبرها من المسلمات
to helping her kids in homework.
أولادها في وظائفهم الدراسية
and her community's mindset,
her Egyptian classmates,
I interviewed.
هي أيضا ناشطة بالتواصل الاجتماعي
is quite active on social media.
what has been called the Arab Spring,
بـ (الربيع العربي) قالت:
of discovering a new bacteria.
جديدة أما الآن...
we have a new one every single day."
of religious fundamentalism in the region,
التعصب الديني في المنطقة
to women in particular.
أمام النساء بالتحديد
Fayza from Yemen affected me the most.
فايزة من اليمن كانت الأكثر تأثيرا علي
at the age of eight when she was married.
بعمر 8 سنوات لأنها تزوجت
of a 60-year-old man,
الزوجة الثالثة لرجل في الـ 60
she was a divorced mother of three.
in an ultra-conservative society,
في مجتمع محافظ جدًا
to her going back to school,
لها لتتحكم بحياتها هو بتعلمها
to control her life was through education.
غير حكومية محلية (NGO)
at the university.
rent a place to live in,
وأن تستأجر بيتًا لتعيش فيه
tremendous change,
are overwhelming.
to becoming the photographer I am today,
لأصبح ما أنا عليه الآن
telling me what I can and cannot do.
أو ما لا يمكنني أن أفعل
and many women across the Arab world,
والكثيرات في العالم العربي
الحواجز لأجل التعليم
to overcome barriers to education,
to a better future.
with a quote by Yasmine,
I interviewed in Tunisia.
اللاتي قابلت في تونس
not who they want you to be.
for your mother birthed you free."
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Laura Boushnak - PhotographerLaura Boushnak is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian photographer whose work focuses on women, literacy and education reform in the Arab world.
Why you should listen
Boushnak's documentary project I Read I Write explores the barriers women face accessing education and the role of literacy in improving the lives of women in Egypt, Yemen, Kuwait, Jordan, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. For the project, Boushnak encouraged women to write their thoughts on prints of their portraits, engaging them directly in the artistic process. Boushnak’s images have been widely published, and her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. She is a co-founder of Rawiya, a collective that brings together the work and experience of female photographers from the Middle East.
Laura Boushnak | Speaker | TED.com