Never-ending cycle

The other week I met a woman whose story made a huge impact on me. Hundreds of thousands of women around the world are experiencing the very same thing as she does – perhaps millions of women.

‘I am stuck in this situation’

She agreed to tell me her story on condition of anonymity, so let’s call her Maria.

She told me how she arrived in a new country a few years ago – no family, no visa, no accommodation, no relatives, no language, no income, nothing.” She was lured into the sex trade, where she was later forced to marry a man she didn’t know.
It wasn’t long after this that her husband started abusing her, and since then the insults, humiliation and beatings have continued.

“I don’t feel I’m treated like a human being,” she said. “I just want to leave this situation and live in peace with my daughter”, whom she hasn’t seen for 4years.

Maria told me she does not feel she can leave her husband as she does not have a job or money and speaks very little English. “I am stuck in this situation because I don’t know what to do, where to go.”

“I live in constant fear and worry and don’t know where to turn. With lack of funds there is little option to break out from the situation I am in, you are trapped in what feels like a never-ending, dark cycle.”

It’s time we listened to women like Maria – and not only listen – what is so badly needed to create change is action.  Action both on political and individual levels. That’s how we genuinely and truly can show women like Maria that we care, that they are not alone in their situation.

The Pixel Project’s ’16 for 16′ campaign

The Pixel Project project has published its list of photographers who support the cause to end violence against women as part of its “16 for 16” campaign against gender violence.

“Photography as social documentary brings to light the stories and realities of violence against women and girls, from child brides, to female genital mutilation, to street harassment,” says The Pixel Project. “[In these projects] The viewer is brought into the worlds depicted by each photographer and asked to join in the global conversation to effect change.”

The Pixel Project is a global, non-profit which works to help fund and raise awareness of the drive to end violence against women.

Photography courtesy of Tim Matsui, Multimedia Journalist and Producer.