Measure of a Woman

The role of women in Qatar and Bahrain Society

'The measure of a woman's character is not what she gets from her ancestors, but what she leaves her descendents'

In this body of work I was curious to explore the experiences of other women in the Arab world. I wanted to investigate women's roles in contemporary culture and document how the pace of modern lifestyles impacts on their traditional status and functions as women within the economic and social structures of their societies. Photographing women in Qatar and Bahrain at work, at home and in social settings, I observed the relationships that surround them: families, work colleagues, friends and staff, and the individual contributions they bring to their local culture through business, the arts, media, culture and sciences.

Over a 4-month period I spent time and lived alongside 10 women aged from their early 20's to late their 70's, following them throughout the hours of their daily lives. For me the experience became more about connecting on a personal level beyond the camera lens. I found intimacy and a greater similarity in our experience as women than I originally thought would be possible. I not only got insight into the successes of their professional and business lives, but I was also able to relate to the challenges they face and the strategies they have developed to cope with the stresses and restrictions of balancing family and working life within the dictates of society.

'Measure of a Woman' is part of an international exhibition project in the Gulf region commissioned by the British Council entitled My Father's House - The Architecture of Cultural Heritage. The exhibition is scheduled to start in Oman in 2009 and will tour the region for two years.

Link: http://www.britishcouncil.org/me-arts-and-culture-my-fathers-house.htm

---