Laura Boushnak: For these women, reading is a daring act
لارا باشنک: برای این زنان، خواندن رفتاری شجاعانه است
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.
towards a better life
زندگی بهتر از میان بردارم
for my project I Read I Write.
to pursue my higher education,
stories of other women
the barriers they face.
از موانعی که با آنها روبرو بودند.
that concern women's education,
که مربوط به تحصیلات زنان می شد
among Arab countries
آنها، گرد آوری کردم.
which is quite high in the region;
در این مناطق بسیار گسترده اند؛
programs for dropout students;
برنامه ای برای دانش آموزانی که ترک تحصیل کرده اند؛
among university students.
to convince the women to participate.
به همین راحتی نبود.
might influence other women's lives,
بر زندگی سایر زنان تاثیر بگذارد،
for their own community, did some agree.
برای جامعه خودشان بشوند برخی از آنها موافقت به همکاری کردند.
and reflexive approach,
their own words and ideas
in some of the classrooms,
and motivate other women
and situations.
به اشتراگ گذارده شدند.
to be independent
was Umm El-Saad from Egypt.
barely able to write her name.
او به سختی می توانست نام خود را بنویسد.
a nine-month literacy program
توسط سازمان غیر انتفاعی محلی
that her husband
out of the classes,
Umm El-Saad joined the program.
control over her simple daily routines,
روزانه اش بدست بگیرد،
to helping her kids in homework.
به کودکان برای انجام تکالیف مدرسه.
and her community's mindset,
her Egyptian classmates,
I interviewed.
is quite active on social media.
که کاملا در رسانه های اجتماعی فعال بود.
what has been called the Arab Spring,
به نام بهار عربی اتفاق افتاد،
of discovering a new bacteria.
یک نوع جدید باکتری بوده ام.
we have a new one every single day."
ما هر روز یک باکتری جدید داریم."
of religious fundamentalism in the region,
to women in particular.
برای زنان هستند.
Fayza from Yemen affected me the most.
مرا تحت تاثیر قرار داد.
at the age of eight when she was married.
که مدرسه را ترک کرده و ازدواج کند.
of a 60-year-old man,
she was a divorced mother of three.
in an ultra-conservative society,
در جامعه فوق العاده محافظه کار،
to her going back to school,
to control her life was through education.
کنترل زندگیش از طریق تحصیل است.
at the university.
rent a place to live in,
اجاره محلی برای سکونت،
tremendous change,
are overwhelming.
to becoming the photographer I am today,
اینکه یک عکاس بشوم عبور می کردم.
telling me what I can and cannot do.
را می توانم بکنم و چه کاری را نمی توانم بکنم.
and many women across the Arab world,
و زنان زیاد دیگری در سراسر جهان عرب،
to overcome barriers to education,
تحصیل امکان پذیر است،
to a better future.
with a quote by Yasmine,
I interviewed in Tunisia.
not who they want you to be.
نه کسی که آنها می خواهند که تو باشی.
for your mother birthed you free."
مادرت تو را آزاد به دنیا آورده ."
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