Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality
פורום דו-קיום בנגב לשוויון אזרחי
منتدى التعايش السلمي في النقب من أجل المساواة المدنية

Recognized: Life and Resilience captured by Bedouin women

31.12.2020

The exhibition Life and Resilience Captured by Bedouin Women, presents a collection of still photographs and videos taken in the last years by Bedouin women in 9 unrecognized villages and in 1 recognized village in the Naqab. In the exhibition Bedouin women bring testimonies to a life of continuous institutional dispossession: expropriation of land, non recognition by the State which results in refusal to provide basic services such as connection to water, electricity , sewage and public transportation. The photography exposes the women’s participation in the struggle against home demolitions and their contribution to the clinging to the land – Sumud.

The women through their camera lens proclaim: we are citizens too but our citizenship was expropriated and therefore we live in unbearable conditions. We demand what every citizen deserves, everything that all other citizens take for granted with no need for a struggle.

The courage of these women photographers is remarkable and their commitment is great although some of them chose not to be identified by their full name. The photographs taken puts them in the front line. With their simple cameras they document the harsh reality inflicted on them by the authorities and by that they create a collective community memory. They exceed the role assigned to them by the traditional society, take a stand publicly and take part, even if limited, in leadership roles.

Please access the exhibition here