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“No Woman’s Land” Exhibited at the Festival Celebrating the 60 Anniversary of Nouvel Obs

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The documentary photography project “No Woman’s Land, an intimate look at the situation of women’s rights in Afghanistan”, by Canadian-Iranian photographer Kiana Hayeri and French researcher Mélissa Cornet, winners of the 14th Carmignac Photojournalism Award, dedicated to the condition of women and girls in Afghanistan since the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, is being presented this weekend in Paris as part of the Nouvel Obs newspaper festival at the Théâtre de la Concorde.

To gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges involved in this reportage, you can also attend (free of charge, reservation required) a conversation on Saturday November 23, 2024 from 4.15pm to 5pm, in the presence of Pierre Haski, President of Reporters Without Borders, a major player in photojournalism actively working to support journalists’ rights worldwide, and the winners of this latest edition of the Carmignac Award. The conversation will be moderated by Marie Vaton, a journalist with Le Nouvel Obs’s International Section.

Kiana Hayeri and Mélissa Cornet will report on their 6-month report (January to June 2024) in seven regions of Afghanistan, with the support of the Carmignac Foundation. They investigated the living conditions imposed on women and girls by the Taliban. A situation which, according to Amnesty International’s research, could constitute a possible crime against humanity of gender-based persecution. To document this extremely sensitive reality, Kiana and Mélissa met over 100 Afghan women and girls and used a variety of media, including photos, drawings and videos, as well as works of art created in collaboration with Afghan teenage girls. 

A part of the reportage will be accessible throughout the festival weekend in an exhibition presented at the Théâtre de la Concorde on presentation of a festival ticket.

Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan, February 17, 2024. A private institute in the West of Kabul, where girls follow the American curriculum in English, but cannot obtain any Afghan official education certificate, nor can they go to university in Afghanistan, closed for women. This is a rare instance where the school has managed to secure the local Taliban's approval to shut a blind eye on the school's operation with teenage girls. 700 female highschool students study at this institute everyday under strict security measurement while two armed security guards from the community watch the gate and girls enter and exit one by one, leaving their backpacks at the entrance. Despite suicide bombers' attacks that took place before the takeover, the institute remains full of girls, whose dreams are now to leave the country to continue their education abroad. © Kiana Hayeri for Fondation Carmignac
Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan, February 17, 2024. A private institute in the West of Kabul, where girls follow the American curriculum in English, but cannot obtain any Afghan official education certificate, nor can they go to university in Afghanistan, closed for women. This is a rare instance where the school has managed to secure the local Taliban’s approval to shut a blind eye on the school’s operation with teenage girls. 700 female highschool students study at this institute everyday under strict security measurement while two armed security guards from the community watch the gate and girls enter and exit one by one, leaving their backpacks at the entrance. Despite suicide bombers’ attacks that took place before the takeover, the institute remains full of girls, whose dreams are now to leave the country to continue their education abroad. © Kiana Hayeri for Fondation Carmignac
Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan, February 23, 2024. A group of teenage girls dance at a birthday party of their friend. Music and dancing have been forbidden by the Taliban but women continue to dance and celebrate in the privacy of their homes and behind closed doors. © Kiana Hayeri for Fondation Carmignac
Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan, February 23, 2024. A group of teenage girls dance at a birthday party of their friend. Music and dancing have been forbidden by the Taliban but women continue to dance and celebrate in the privacy of their homes and behind closed doors. © Kiana Hayeri for Fondation Carmignac
Jalal Abad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan, February 12, 2024. A family, recently deported out of Pakistan has temporarily settled in suburban neighbourhood of Jalal Abad in eastern Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been forced out of Pakistan following the ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners, some of which after decades of living in Pakistan. Women and girls are the most affected by the consequences of forced displacement, with for example high rates of child marriage. © Kiana Hayeri for Fondation Carmignac
Jalal Abad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan, February 12, 2024. A family, recently deported out of Pakistan has temporarily settled in suburban neighbourhood of Jalal Abad in eastern Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been forced out of Pakistan following the ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners, some of which after decades of living in Pakistan. Women and girls are the most affected by the consequences of forced displacement, with for example high rates of child marriage. © Kiana Hayeri for Fondation Carmignac

This re-hanging of the exhibition will also be an opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award (created in 2009 by Edouard Carmignac) through past and future editions. For the past 15 years, the Carmignac Award has supported the production of investigative photographic and journalistic reports on human rights violations around the world and related geostrategic issues.

The Nouvel Obs Festival, organized to mark the publication’s 60th anniversary, takes place on Saturday November 23 and Sunday November 24 at the Théâtre de la Concorde. On the program: a weekend of conferences, debates and free workshops with numerous personalities from the worlds of thought, culture and the media.

Founded in 1964, Nouvel Obs aims to embody its long-term commitment to human progress, civil liberties, gender equality, respect for minorities and ecology.

Until December 18, 2024 you can also discover the outdoor exhibition “No Woman’s Land”, visible on the Port de Solférino (Paris 7th), opposite the Musée d’Orsay, in partnership with the City of Paris.

No Woman’s Land” outdoor exhibition, Port de Solférino © Fondation Carmignac
No Woman’s Land” outdoor exhibition, Port de Solférino © Fondation Carmignac

More information:

“No Woman’s Land, an intimate look at the situation of women’s rights in Afghanistan”, by Kiana Hayeri and Mélissa Cornet, winners of the 14th Carmignac Photojournalism Prize.

For the full program of the Nouvel Obs 60th anniversary festival, click here.

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