Last September at Perpignan (France), during the 27th edition of the International Festival of Photojournalism Visa pour l'Image, Diana Z. Alhindawi received ICRC's Humanitarian Visa d'Or Award for her work in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), "The Minova Rape Trials".
From November 3 to December 5 2015, these photographs will be exhibited at the art gallery of the French magazine Causette, la Boutique des Arts Ménagés.
The photographer will be present at the opening on Tuesday 10 November 2015 at 6:30 pm.
To register on the event page
La boutique des arts ménagés, 121 Rue de Charonne, Paris, France, is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:30 am to 12:30 am and from 2:30pm to 7 pm.
The Minova RAPE Trials
Between February 12th and 19th, 2014, a temporary courtroom was set up in Minova town, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to hear the testimonies of resident rape victims. Due to the high number of soldiers on trial and the elevated level of military tribunal implemented, this was the most significant rape trial to date in DRC, a country dubbed "The rape capital of the world" in 2010, by Margot Wallstrom, special representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
"Congo is the rape capital of the world"
Margo Wallstrom
On trial were 39 government soldiers accused of partaking in a 10-day run of violence in November 2012, after fleeing from rebels of the March 23 Movement, who had captured the key city of Goma at the time. During those ten days, over 1,000 people were raped in Minova alone. Congolese culture placing heavy stigma on rape victims, disguises were used at the trial to protect victims' identities. Even so, only 47 women testified. A ruling on May 5th, 2014, found only two soldiers guilty of rape.
Congolese culture places heavy stigma on rape victims.
An engaged photographer
When Diana Z. Alhindawi shot the Minova trial story in 2014, she already knew about the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as she was working for Oxfam when the violences took place in 2012. She has since then stopped working for humanitarian organisations to become a photographer. She defines photography as an indirect help, as "a piece of the great humanitarian puzzle" (interview in Le Temps in this article).
rewarded PHOTOGRAPHs
The jury of the ICRC's 5th Humanitarian Visa d’Or award has unanimously given its prize to the photojournalist Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi for her outstanding story "The Minova Rape Trials" in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The jury was composed of representatives of the New York Times, Paris-Match, La Croix, Figaro Magazine, Geo and ICRC.
Apart from the aesthetic quality, the jury greatly appreciated how Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi has unfolded the trial’s story in 10 strong and sensitive pictures. They reveal the confrontation that took place in court between the plaintiffs and the defendants, between the alleged rapists and the victims, who for their own security, were veiled during the trial.
Lastly, this story also holds a glimpse of hope: sexual violence should in the future be more systematically prosecuted and judged, at all times and under any circumstances.
ICRC’s Humanitarian Visa d’Or Award is a 8 000 euros prize for professional photojournalists, who highlight through their reporting the issues women face in war ; sexual violence, women in detention, women searching for missing family members, the situation of female fighters or also women becoming single heads of household.
Members of the jury were Daphné Anglès, (New York Times), Armelle Canitrot, (La Croix), Magdalena Herrera (Géo), Jerôme Huffer (Paris Match), Cyril Drouhet (Le Figaro magazine), Georgios Cominos and David-Pierre Marquet (ICRC).
Exhibition at the Boutique des Arts Ménagés
In partnership with the French magazine Causette, the International Committee of the Red Cross's delegation in France is organising an exhibition about the Minova Rape Trials in Paris.
From November 3rd to December 5th, the entire collection of 30 photographs taken by Diana Z. Alhindawi on the Minova Rape Trials will be exposed at the "Boutique des arts ménagés", Causette's art gallery. The opening will take place on November 10 2015, at 6:30 pm, with the photographer.
To register on the event page
La boutique des arts ménagés, 121 Rue de Charonne, Paris, France, is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:30 am to 12:30 am and from 2:30pm to 7 pm.
Annexes
Follow the work of Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi on her website.
Discover the French magazine Causette
Follow humanitarian news on the blog of the ICRC delegation in France : L'humanitaire dans tous ses états.
The next competition for the Humanitarian Visa d'Or will start in April 2016. If you are a professionnal photojournalist and you wish to participate, please contact the ICRC delegation in France at this mail address : fjoli@icrc.org
And last of all, don't miss next September the festival of photojournalism Visa pour l'Image
