The International Day of the Girl Child, held annually on October 11, promotes girls’ rights and while it is also intended to highlight gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys I prefer to concentrate on the value that females provide to their families and their communities. I also believe that these inequalities are far more acutely felt by women in developing nations, with poverty exacerbating their vulnerability.
As a mother, and a new mum to a little girl I am keenly aware and grateful for the opportunities I can give my daughter; the priveledges she has simply by being born in the most abundant nation on earth; and the challenges faced by the girls I have met along my journey.
I’ve discussed the importance of education and of role models in my blog Malala Yousufzai – my person of the year 2012 and will revisit these ideas visually.
My Girl Child Photographic Exposé is a collection of portraits I have captured on my travels around the world, each one with a different story but hopefully a shared future of empowerment, freedom and happiness.
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- “The Burden of Responsibility” Cambodia – Pub Street: These vagrant children wander the tourist district. The juxtaposition between the indulgent traveller splurging on their food and drink while this troop of destitute children (mostly girls) make their way from one cafe/restaurant to the next is heartbreaking. When I think of their day-to-day existence I am overwhelmed with sadness, yet they still manage to play, laugh and smile – a glimpse of innocence and hope. This image sums up so many issues that children of the developing world must face; the challenges of poverty and starvation; eking out an existence versus the value of an education; protecting girls from the trappings of the sex trade and human trafficking while empowering them to be in control of their general health, fertility and family planning; staggering child mortality rates; and the role of women in the community, and within their families amidst cultural and societal pressures.
- “Peek a Boo” Vietnam: This image represents the fragility of childhood in the increasingly fast-paced world, and the bonding power of children to keep parents together in a shared commitment to protect and provide.
- “Home Sweet Home” Cambodia – Svay Rieng Province: Mother and child sit together by the roadside boiling down palm sugar until it’s caramelised, cooled and packaged in intricate bamboo wrappers. Their simple existence is dignified and hospitable.
- “Joy of Dance” Rwanda: Dance is universal, I believe because of the joy it brings. There, of course, is different styles but there are a shared rhythm and beat that speaks to the heart of humanity.
- “Through the Ages” India: The timeless traditions passed down from generation to generation help make us who we are, but there’s a precarious balance of holding on to customs and embracing the realities of the modern world. With this comes the confusion (for both women and men) about our roles in relationships, family and the community.
- “Bashful” Australia – Cherbourg: These girls giggle and shy-away from the camera before embarking on the biannual Yalari Commemorative Walk which provides an opportunity for students to exercise the qualities of resilience, strength, courage, leadership and endurance in an event that not only takes a strong commitment from them to complete but also provides the cultural backdrop of those who have gone before them and walked to Cherbourg in 1905.Yalari offers Indigenous children from regional, rural and remote communities across Australia to access a first-class secondary education through scholarships to attend some of Australia’s leading boarding schools, and through the gift of education, pursue their goals and dreams. Learn more about Yalari here.
- “Apparition” Angkor Wat: This little girl scampers around the ancient temple ruins accompanied only by her imagination. She was clearly lonely but not fearful of the passing tourist. I hoped her carer worked in the complex rather than her being an orphan but before I got the chance to ask, like an apparition, she was gone.
- “On’nanoko” Japan: On the steps of the Fushimi Inari Shrine this Chinese-Japanese girl was learning about cross-cultural rituals, Buddhism and the beauty of yukata with her mother and aunt. On’nanoko is the Japanese word for ‘girl-child’.
- ‘Delicate” Cambodia, Ponhea Lueu District: The Silversmith village is filled with women and girls of all ages perfecting their craft to earn a living. Their delicate fingers guide their tools to create beautiful pieces of art.
- “Sharing” Singapore: While these two girls have different ethnicities, they have a shared culture in the blend of nations that is Singapore. They also have a shared sense of joy, and by looking at the world through the eyes of a child we can remember and appreciate the simplicities of life that bring a smile to our faces.
- “The Daughters of Saraswati” Indonesia, Ubud, Bali: When I visited the magical Pura Taman Saraswati Temple I was lucky enough to catch this troop of girls learning traditional Indonesian dance as well as bout about their country’s customs and cultural treasures. Even when the music stopped they moved and laughed together in a sisterly bond.
- “Pride” Port Morsby, Papua New Guinea: This young lady was so proud to wear her traditional cultural dress and perform a dance her community of women had taught her.
- “The Entrepreneur” Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Making the most of what skills she has, this little girl was not backward in coming forward to sell her wares.
- “Gratitude” Siem Reap, Cambodia: This tiny little girl seemed barely out of diapers but had already lived a lifetime worth of hardship, yet she managed to walk the streets with a smile and give thanks when I shared my breakfast and gave her what cash I had on me. I was struck by the overwhelming sense of gratitude demonstrated by all the Cambodian people I met. A war-ravaged nation, many of the children are not only destitute but are orphans. They are the first generation in half a century not to be directly exposed to the horrors of genocide. I often think about her, her friends and all the girls I’ve met along my travels and hope they are safe, happy and following their dreams.
