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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
November 1, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| October 16, 2005 |
Capturing the Unexposed through a Woman’s Lens – Evelyn Hockstein |
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| Evelyn Hockstein came onboard Peace Boat to share her experiences as an international photojournalist. |
From war in Palestine to child prostitution in Central America and disease and famine in Africa, photojournalist Evelyn Hockstein has witnessed and captured a vast cross-section of pain throughout the world. She joined Peace Boat from Egypt to Morocco, to display and discuss her powerful images, which depict crises all over the world, particularly in the African continent. |
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| Women and young girls in Sudan must endure a deathly sand storm in order to get the water they so desperately need. Photo by Evelyn Hockstein. |
In her eight years as a freelance photographer, Evelyn has covered many of the world’s hot spots, including the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from her former base in Jerusalem. She is now working out of Nairobi, Kenya, and has documented stories including the Marburg virus in Angola, South African elections, and the hunger crisis in Niger.
Onboard Peace Boat, she paid special attention to sharing her photography that captures violence against women – which she witnesses all too often in her work. Evelyn introduced Peace Boat participants to a range of violations and hardships forced on women around the world. |
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| This 14 year old Afghan woman was abused by her husband, who forced her to marry him. Her father tried to save her from the man’s abuse but was consequently killed by him. Photo taken by Evelyn Hockstein. |
A rampant crime in some countries is honor crimes whereby a woman is punished – sometimes killed - for bringing shame to her family’s honor. This includes having sex out of wedlock, and even being the victim of rape. It [rape] is a crime that goes unpunished, she says. “While it might be illegal it is often overlooked, as culture and traditional ways often override the law.”
Evelyn was recently contracted by the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) to contribute to a book about violence against women around the world. “It's a new way of looking at issues of violence against women, which goes beyond traditional vices of physical and emotional abuse, to include freedom of choice, and access to education and health care,” she said. Evelyn photographed women in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nicaragua for the book, which will be published by the end of 2005. |
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| Evelyn discussed photography with participants onboard Peace Boat. |
Her next aim is to publish a book focusing on women’s reproductive health, and bring attention to the tragic maternal morbidity rate among women in many parts of Africa. “Childbirth is a joyous occasion in the developed world, but in the underdeveloped world it is a life threatening event,” she said. Currently seeking funding, she hopes to start working on her book soon.
Evelyn admits the emotional toll of her job can be hard-hitting. “I have to close myself off emotionally when I take these kinds of photos. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to do my job, I would break down,” she said. She draws her energy from the strength of the people she photographs. “Its not my courage that lets me take these photos, it’s the courage of the people I photograph that keeps me going. Many people are very open and they want to share their stories. It’s my obligation to tell their story with dignity and honor,” she said.
Evelyn feels it is crucial to communicate problems in Africa to the rest of the world.“ The crises in Africa are so vast and the numbers of people affected are enormous. The amount of media coverage is appallingly small compared to the size of the tragedies.”
International awareness of Africa’s plight, however, has increased recently, and hopefully the emphasis to implement change in Africa will remain high, says Evelyn.
She hopes that the images she shared with Peace Boat participants will remain in their minds, so that the problems of Africa remain in their hearts. “I just hope that the more photos I take, the more people will see and react, so that there can be positive change on the continent [in Africa]. Otherwise we will continue to see hunger and poverty year after year,” she said.” |
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