14TH EDITION CARMIGNAC PHOTOJOURNALISM AWARD
NO WOMAN’S LAND

An Intimate Look into the Battle for Women’s Rights in Afghanistan

A collaborative report by Mélissa Cornet and Kiana Hayeri

Exhibition in Paris from October 25 - November 18, 2024

In partnership with Amnesty International & PhotoSaintGermain.

THE REPORT

Over the course of the last six months, Kiana and Mélissa travelled to seven provinces in Afghanistan* to investigate the conditions imposed on women and girls by the Taliban, which, according to Amnesty International’s research, could constitute a possible crime against humanity of gender-based persecution. They met with more than 100 women and girls, barred from going to school, forced to stay at home, women journalists and activists continuing to fight for their rights, mothers watching with horror as history repeats itself for their daughters.

They documented how the Taliban, allowed by a deeply patriarchal society, have systematically erased women from society, taking away their most basic rights: to go to school, to university, to work, to travel, to dress as they wish, to go to public baths, to parks, or even to the beauty salon. In late August 2024, the Taliban regime further tightened its control by enacting a new law requiring women to cover their faces with a mask and prohibiting them from having their voices heard in public, including singing, reciting, or reading aloud.

The starkest change that Kiana and Mélissa noted since August 2021 was the general loss of hope among women that things might improve for them, as dreams of having an education and becoming members of society were shattered before them, becoming the primary victims of recurring economic and food crises, and a health system that has all but collapsed. In the words of one women’s rights activist, who has since left the country, seeing no future for herself in Afghanistan: « We have forgotten joy, we don’t know from where any can be found. I’ve lost all motivation. I cry alone, hidden. It’s as if someone has locked me in a room and won’t let me outside. Even food has no taste. »

THE EXHIBITION

The exhibition seeks to capture the gendered experiences that shape the lives of women and girls under the Taliban regime. Through a spatial narrative, the exhibition moves between the inside/outside dichotomy: a male-dominated outer space where women find themselves looking out from behind metaphorical windows, contemplating the possibilities beyond their reach. In stark contrast, the inner space appears as an ever-shrinking sanctuary, the only place where women can still express their humanity, embodying a realm of potential and aspiration.

Beyond these two realms, however, lies a fragile but crucial in-between space that allows boundaries to be reimagined and safeguard possibilities. A liminal space protected by women journalists and activists who play a pivotal role in using their voices to fight for their rights, challenge norms and advocate for change. They shed light on the hidden narratives and foster the dialogue that empowers women to reclaim their stories, thereby transforming their presence in both the public and private spheres.

The exhibition documents this extremely sensitive situation using a variety of media, including photos, drawings and videos, as well as creating works of art in collaboration with Afghan teenage girls.