WUNRN
PALESTINE - GAZA WOMEN
PHOTOJOURNALISTS
For many years, photojournalism in
By NELLY AL-MASRI
GAZA,
July 30, 2009 (MENASSAT) - Although the Palestinian Territories are filled with
stories that are worth documenting through the lens of a camera no matter who
carries it, the number of female photojournalists is still relatively low in
comparison with male photojournalists.
Twenty-one year old Eman Mohammad is one of the women breaking down these
barriers in the
“They think it’s a job that is tough and only suitable for men,” she says,
adding that she feels highly unappreciated for her work and receives little
encouragement from her male peers.
She says they have been hindering her work. “Palestinian society is a
patriarchal society and prefers men working rather than women.”
“
The December-January Israeli war on
That included, according to the young photojournalist, seeing the severed limbs
of Israeli bomb victims – women and children – which she said made her feel
somehow more stable and responsible towards the people of Gaza.
Recounting the worst incident during the war, Mohammad saw a mother and her
four children in the morgue after they were shot during the Israeli invasions
of Beit Hanoun in the north of
She said that after the assassination of photojournalist Fadel Shana, who was
killed by an Israeli tank shell in April 2008, she realized that “documenting
things in
By all accounts, this is what she did during the
Defying society’s
refusal
Nour al-Halabi is another young photographer and documentary filmmaker. She
said that after finishing her university studies, she began working at a radio
station and continued her writing, but also said she felt that she hadn’t
accomplished what she set out to do.
Al-Halabi told MENASSAT that it was the camera she was looking for all along,
but that her discovery of photography was by “pure chance.” Years on, she said she
prefers to work in photography and film rather than write.
“Working with the camera transports you to a different, more original world.
What the camera sees is different than what we see with our eyes.”
Al-Halabi finished her first documentary - “Inta min wein” (Where are you
from?) – last year, and is preparing for a new one. She echoes Eman Mohammad’s
thoughts that, “Palestinian society still considers to be a male job,” and is
actually highly critical of women working in the field despite their scarcity.
She pointed out that she ignores all the criticism against her when she carries
the camera to cover an event, and tries to focus on her work to prove herself
and rectify the society’s view of women.
Tough mission
Another photojournalist Eman Jomaa, winner of the Creative Women in Palestine
2009 prize, told MENASSAT that she has a magnificent feeling when standing
behind the camera – “A feeling of joy mixed with challenge to the society which
has refused the presence of women in this field,” which Jomaa says is due to
Gaza’s cultural and social inheritance.
According to Jomaa, she and her colleagues have faced a very difficult mission;
mainly confronting the Israeli occupation while at the same time confronting
the internal obstacles presented her male colleagues.
Jomaa says that if Palestinian women, like the operative Leila Khaled, can
bring down an Israeli aircraft, “They can definitely carry a camera and point
it towards the occupation,” and other more sensitive internal issues.
“Photojournalism is a mission to defend the nation and the people through a
lens,” she said, adding that she stills plans to extend her reputation on both
the local and international photography scenes.
The cultural
inheritance and female photographers
Manal Hasan, who works as a freelance photographer for a number of different
Palestinian websites and newspapers disagrees with the others surveyed for this
piece.
Hasan says that Palestinian society’s view of female photographers has changed,
adding that she has received encouragement through her contact with the
different social classes in
In another context, Manal said that the main problems facing Palestinian
photographers - men or women - are the official permits that they must get from
the Hamas Interior Ministry to take pictures in public places, or from the
Tourism ministry or the police stations. Without obtaining them, she said,
photojournalists risk being arrested and having their equipment confiscated.
She added, "Some photojournalists work as freelancers, which leaves them
unprotected and subject to harassment.”
Meanwhile, photojournalists without proper permits are routinely asked for
their journalist identification or accreditation from the Palestinian
Journalist Syndicate which has been suspended for two years now due to internal
divisions between Hamas and Fatah.
Manal said being accredited by the PJS can’t currently protect any journalist,
man or woman.
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