Sometimes the ability to read and write is something we take for granted, especially at a highly selective institution like Vassar. Photographer and TED Fellow Laura Boushnak identifies as an Arab woman who “was not allowed initially to pursue [her] higher education.” Inspired by her own personal experience, Boushnak sought to “explore and document stories of other women who changed their lives through education while exposing and questioning the barriers they face.” “Keeping in mind the differences among Arab countries due to economic and social factors,” Boushnak interviewed four women from different countries in the Middle East to delve into “issues includ[ing] female illiteracy […] educational reforms, programs for drop-out students, and political activism among university students.”
“As I started this work it was not always easy to convince the women to participate. Only after explaining to them how their stories might influence other women’s lives, how they would become role models for their own community, did some agree,” says Boushnak. “Seeking a collaborative and reflexive approach, I asked them to write their own words and ideas on prints of their own images. Those images were then shared in some of the classrooms, and work to inspire and motivate other women going through similar educations and situations.”
To learn the stories of these four brave women, please watch the TED Talk below.