The Female Lens

About

The Female Lens:

Women and War

Conflict and armed violence are at the heart of many of the world’s most devastating problems.

The work of MAG (Mines Advisory Group), a humanitarian, development and peacebuilding organisation, limits the causes and address the consequences — both immediate and long-term — of such conflict right across the world. It saves lives, eases suffering, protects human rights and contributes to sustainable peace for the hundreds of millions of people affected.

Across the world, and in every country where MAG works, women play a critical role in helping their communities recover and rebuild following the devastation wrought by war.

They are peacebuilders, decision-makers, wage-earners and care-givers.

This year, MAG is highlighting the role that women play in our mission to save lives, ease suffering and enable sustainable development so people can live with dignity and choice, free from fear.

We are doing this because the role that women can and do play is too often unacknowledged or under-recognised.

Women bring unique perspectives, vital insight, expertise and experience to post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding.

Today, as conflict and insecurity affect millions of people worldwide, the leadership of women, no matter what their role, has never been more important.

Five renowned women photographers, from South East Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, are collaborating with MAG to document the experience of our female staff and the role of women in rebuilding communities after conflict.

We share stories of female leadership, resilience, skill and courage. These are the stories of the women of MAG, women working for peace.

On this dedicated site, you can read about some of our women leaders, and about the photographers who documented their work

Working on land that experienced heavy fighting during the civil war, Lourdes is part of our team in Sri Lanka who carefully clears land of landmines and explosive items. Photo by Maryam Ashrafi.

Humanitarian mine action,

including the removal and clearance of explosive items, and community outreach to share safety information, are essential elements of peacebuilding processes and post-conflict recovery. Ensuring women are involved in these efforts in meaningful ways makes the work more equitable, more efficient, and more effective.

Our photographers

Since March, we have been working with five renowned women photographers, from South East Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, to document the experience of our female staff and the role of women in rebuilding communities after conflict.

Women living in conflict documented through the lens of women photographers.

Julia Kochetova

Julia Kochetova is a Ukrainian photojournalist and documentary filmmaker. She is currently in Ukraine, reporting on the war and its' devastating effect on communities.

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Maryam Ashrafi

Maryam Ashrafi, a Paris-based Iranian photographer, was born in Tehran amidst the Iran-Iraq war.

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Sane Seven

Sane Seven, a visionary female portrait photographer celebrated for her ability to capture the subtleties and complexities of the female experience.

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Sophal Neak

Sophal Neak is a Cambodia photographer who has developed her distinctive practice through performatively composed portraitures, commonly staged in collaboration with her subjects.

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Yagazie Emezi

Yagazie Emezi is a Nigerian artist and self-taught photojournalist focused on stories surrounding African women and their health, sexuality, education and human rights.

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