A ten-day photo exhibition that seeks to showcase women who have fought for their rights as well as the welfare of people in their communities has opened at the Ethnographic Museum in Huye District.

Under the theme, "Women in Resistance,” the exhibition, which opened Tuesday, is organised by the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda (INMR), in partnership with the Institut Francais du Rwanda.

It features photographs of 19 women from 19 countries shot by French photographer Pierre-Yves Ginet over 12 years.

Among those portrayed in the photos are women or groups of women, mainly in conflict or post-conflict settings, who invested their efforts and committed their lives to the welfare of their communities.

Theirs is a story of courageous women who have defied the odds and beat the challenges to become successful individuals or change the course of events within their respective communities.

From Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region to the rape-prone east of the DR Congo through Rwanda’s 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Ginet traversed Pakistan, Nepal, Cambodia, Palestine, Libya, Kosovo and France, among other areas, to capture the stories of outstanding women who greatly impacted the lives of others.

"Their daily battles have not only made survival battle possible but also enabled the country to make a fresh start with youth brought up according to values far apart from those of 1994,” reads part of a note under one of the exhibited photos that portrays Genocide widows, under their umbrella organisation Avega Agahozo and the resilience that put them on a successful journey from the ashes of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

‘An honour’

The exhibition has toured several countries around the world with Kenya its next stop.

Jerome Karangwa, INMR’s head of research, said it is an honour for the museum to host the exhibition.

He said the photos "send a message that women play a big role in the welfare of communities around the world,” noting that the exhibition has a lot to tell about Rwanda as a country that has endorsed policies and programmes that promote the rights of women and recognise their contribution to development.

Karangwa said photography is an art that the museum is trying to develop through organising various exhibitions that features renowned international photo artists and also seeking to encourage local talents in the field.

jp.bucyensenge@newtimes.co.rw