TEDGlobal 2014
Laura Boushnak: For these women, reading is a daring act
Filmed:
Readability: 5.3
919,431 views
In some parts of the world, half of the women lack basic reading and writing skills. The reasons vary, but in many cases, literacy isn't valued by fathers, husbands, even mothers. Photographer and TED Fellow Laura Boushnak traveled to countries including Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia to highlight brave women -- schoolgirls, political activists, 60-year-old moms -- who are fighting the statistics.
Laura Boushnak - Photographer
Laura Boushnak is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian photographer whose work focuses on women, literacy and education reform in the Arab world. Full bio
Laura Boushnak is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian photographer whose work focuses on women, literacy and education reform in the Arab world. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
As an Arab female photographer,
0
648
2137
00:14
I have always found ample inspiration
for my projects in personal experiences.
for my projects in personal experiences.
1
2785
5132
00:20
The passion I developed for knowledge,
2
7917
1932
00:22
which allowed me to break barriers
towards a better life
towards a better life
3
9849
3401
00:25
was the motivation
for my project I Read I Write.
for my project I Read I Write.
4
13250
4349
00:29
Pushed by my own experience,
5
17599
1732
00:31
as I was not allowed initially
to pursue my higher education,
to pursue my higher education,
6
19331
3975
00:35
I decided to explore and document
stories of other women
stories of other women
7
23306
4177
00:39
who changed their lives through education,
8
27483
2833
00:42
while exposing and questioning
the barriers they face.
the barriers they face.
9
30316
3831
00:46
I covered a range of topics
that concern women's education,
that concern women's education,
10
34147
3686
00:50
keeping in mind the differences
among Arab countries
among Arab countries
11
37833
2618
00:52
due to economic and social factors.
12
40451
3118
00:55
These issues include female illiteracy,
which is quite high in the region;
which is quite high in the region;
13
43569
4165
00:59
educational reforms;
programs for dropout students;
programs for dropout students;
14
47734
4407
01:04
and political activism
among university students.
among university students.
15
52141
3059
01:08
As I started this work,
16
56110
1402
01:09
it was not always easy
to convince the women to participate.
to convince the women to participate.
17
57512
3560
01:13
Only after explaining to them
18
61072
1915
01:15
how their stories
might influence other women's lives,
might influence other women's lives,
19
62987
2854
01:18
how they would become role models
for their own community, did some agree.
for their own community, did some agree.
20
65841
4806
01:22
Seeking a collaborative
and reflexive approach,
and reflexive approach,
21
70647
3181
01:26
I asked them to write
their own words and ideas
their own words and ideas
22
73828
3204
01:29
on prints of their own images.
23
77032
2229
01:31
Those images were then shared
in some of the classrooms,
in some of the classrooms,
24
79261
2810
01:34
and worked to inspire
and motivate other women
and motivate other women
25
82071
3250
01:37
going through similar educations
and situations.
and situations.
26
85321
4095
01:42
Aisha, a teacher from Yemen, wrote,
27
90273
2827
01:45
"I sought education in order
to be independent
to be independent
28
93100
3134
01:48
and to not count on men with everything."
29
96234
2299
01:51
One of my first subjects
was Umm El-Saad from Egypt.
was Umm El-Saad from Egypt.
30
99663
3695
01:55
When we first met, she was
barely able to write her name.
barely able to write her name.
31
103358
3441
01:58
She was attending
a nine-month literacy program
a nine-month literacy program
32
106799
2252
02:01
run by a local NGO in the Cairo suburbs.
33
109051
2949
02:04
Months later, she was joking
that her husband
that her husband
34
112000
2229
02:06
had threatened to pull her
out of the classes,
out of the classes,
35
114229
2531
02:08
as he found out that his now literate wife
36
116760
2229
02:11
was going through his phone text messages.
37
118989
2788
02:13
(Laughter)
38
121777
1460
02:15
Naughty Umm El-Saad.
39
123237
1748
02:17
Of course, that's not why
Umm El-Saad joined the program.
Umm El-Saad joined the program.
40
124985
4154
02:21
I saw how she was longing to gain
control over her simple daily routines,
control over her simple daily routines,
41
129139
4716
02:26
small details that we take for granted,
42
133855
1909
02:27
from counting money at the market
to helping her kids in homework.
to helping her kids in homework.
43
135764
4198
02:32
Despite her poverty
and her community's mindset,
and her community's mindset,
44
139962
2995
02:35
which belittles women's education,
45
142957
2085
02:37
Umm El-Saad, along with
her Egyptian classmates,
her Egyptian classmates,
46
145042
2726
02:39
was eager to learn how to read and write.
47
147768
3227
02:44
In Tunisia, I met Asma,
48
152175
2554
02:46
one of the four activist women
I interviewed.
I interviewed.
49
154729
3042
02:49
The secular bioengineering student
is quite active on social media.
is quite active on social media.
50
157771
3382
02:54
Regarding her country, which treasured
what has been called the Arab Spring,
what has been called the Arab Spring,
51
162235
5682
03:00
she said, "I've always dreamt
of discovering a new bacteria.
of discovering a new bacteria.
52
167917
2926
03:03
Now, after the revolution,
we have a new one every single day."
we have a new one every single day."
53
170843
3760
03:06
Asma was referring to the rise
of religious fundamentalism in the region,
of religious fundamentalism in the region,
54
174603
4576
03:11
which is another obstacle
to women in particular.
to women in particular.
55
179179
3074
03:15
Out of all the women I met,
Fayza from Yemen affected me the most.
Fayza from Yemen affected me the most.
56
183363
4866
03:20
Fayza was forced to drop out of school
at the age of eight when she was married.
at the age of eight when she was married.
57
188229
4885
03:25
That marriage lasted for a year.
58
193114
3247
03:28
At 14, she became the third wife
of a 60-year-old man,
of a 60-year-old man,
59
196361
3868
03:32
and by the time she was 18,
she was a divorced mother of three.
she was a divorced mother of three.
60
200229
4690
03:37
Despite her poverty,
61
204919
2471
03:39
despite her social status as a divorcée
in an ultra-conservative society,
in an ultra-conservative society,
62
207390
5270
03:44
and despite the opposition of her parents
to her going back to school,
to her going back to school,
63
212660
3878
03:48
Fayza knew that her only way
to control her life was through education.
to control her life was through education.
64
216538
5172
03:53
She is now 26.
65
221710
1770
03:55
She received a grant from a local NGO
66
223480
2160
03:57
to fund her business studies
at the university.
at the university.
67
225640
2879
04:00
Her goal is to find a job,
rent a place to live in,
rent a place to live in,
68
228519
3460
04:04
and bring her kids back with her.
69
231979
2019
04:07
The Arab states are going through
tremendous change,
tremendous change,
70
235158
4297
04:11
and the struggles women face
are overwhelming.
are overwhelming.
71
239455
2761
04:14
Just like the women I photographed,
72
242216
2242
04:16
I had to overcome many barriers
to becoming the photographer I am today,
to becoming the photographer I am today,
73
244458
4432
04:21
many people along the way
telling me what I can and cannot do.
telling me what I can and cannot do.
74
248890
3747
04:25
Umm El-Saad, Asma and Fayza,
and many women across the Arab world,
and many women across the Arab world,
75
253387
5306
04:30
show that it is possible
to overcome barriers to education,
to overcome barriers to education,
76
258693
3958
04:34
which they know is the best means
to a better future.
to a better future.
77
262651
3269
04:39
And here I would like to end
with a quote by Yasmine,
with a quote by Yasmine,
78
266830
3367
04:42
one of the four activist women
I interviewed in Tunisia.
I interviewed in Tunisia.
79
270197
3266
04:45
Yasmine wrote,
80
273463
1571
04:47
"Question your convictions.
81
275034
2380
04:49
Be who you to want to be,
not who they want you to be.
not who they want you to be.
82
277414
3742
04:53
Don't accept their enslavement,
for your mother birthed you free."
for your mother birthed you free."
83
281156
3576
04:56
Thank you.
84
284732
2229
04:59
(Applause)
85
286961
4065
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