How far have women progressed in their freedom march?

(Column in Khaleej Times dated 9 March, 2023)

It was Day 2 for me as a visitor at an international photography exhibition in Sharjah, and I was lingering in a young African photographer’s booth, marvelling at the depth of human storytelling in his pictures. As I began to converse with the lensman, an Emirati woman joined us and began to speak eloquently about photography and her desire to tour Africa. Turned out that she was Suaad Al Suwaidi, the first female Emirati wildlife photographer with an elaborate body of works behind her.

Given the fact that the number of women who take up wildlife photography are fewer in comparison to men, I was amazed and impressed that a woman in a hijab and abaya could be out in the wild, freely hunting for photo-ops of creatures and creating a niche for herself in the profession. I realised what a long-distance women, especially those in this region, have come in breaking the time-worn constructs about female prowess and how they are creating new templates for women in the workplace.

Looking around, I am acutely aware of the fact that a lot has changed from the time I wrote my first essay about women’s liberation way back in 1989. At that time, it was a movement in its infancy, which gained momentum with the growth of technology and media, and now stands at a point where women fearlessly lead power wars, capture citadels and topple the apple cart of male domination across occupational domains.

Yet, a couple of questions nag me every time I see a woman of content and courage making the headlines for her professional accomplishments. Have women really crossed the threshold and entered the other side of history? Is this what women really want: these larger-than-life contours to fit into and feel liberated?

I live in the UAE, which is highly reputed for women’s safety and a lot of importance is placed on upholding the dignity of women in the public space. But often, I wonder how many women in the world can proudly claim that her life and honour are safe on the streets and in the confines of home. In so many societies women are still considered infra dig and incapable. In so many countries are women subordinate to men, in some cases even subjected to outright slavery and dishonour!

While we have been busy celebrating the accomplishments of women in the mainstream arenas, millions of women continue to suffer atrocities that defy common justice. From being trafficked to being sexually abused within marriages, from being beaten in the name of spousal privilege to being denied basic rights — there are huge pockets in the world that harbour female stories of misery and manipulation. For every tale of redemption and victory that we gloat over, there are a dozen sob stories that remain unspoken. Somewhere in between the triumph of a few in setting glorious examples and the abject failure of many to break the shackles is the reality of women today. Aren’t we putting too much spotlight on the victories (hard-won doubtless)? Isn’t the flipside getting shrouded by the shadows they create?

We don’t need statistics from the UN or other stock-taking agencies to tell us the real story behind our open elation, although the numbers can ratify assumptions of continued assault on women’s virtues. We have had enough extolling, and it is time for us to ask the right questions. Are we women being allowed to live our lives without fear of being discarded, disregarded, and despised? Are we women equally given the freedom to exercise our choices about not just what will go into the cooking pot today, but also with regard to her own definition of a happy life? Do we enjoy the freedom to say ‘no’ when we want to and still gain the respect and love of the man we declined?

Until we have a satisfactory answer to the above questions, we cannot claim to be either free or equal to the rest of the world. Equality is not about being able to earn as much as men, or claiming spots in areas that were once male bastions. It is about a woman having the right to live happily and in peace, and to be given the space to build and realise her dreams without being castigated or questioned.

There is no doubt that women have ripped many a fence and walked boldly into the wilderness, but those are still in the minority. Until every woman in the world can openly proclaim that she has lived a life that she has always dreamed of, that she has not faced coercion or subjugation, that she has viewed the world through her own eyes and not through the prism of prejudice, that she does not feel stereotyped, that her body, mind and spirit aren’t beholden to anybody, the celebration of Women’s Day will be a tad short of achieving its ultimate purpose.

Why do we fuss so much about board exams?

(Opinion column in Khaleej TImes daed 21 February, 2023)

‘What you do in the next few weeks will decide how successful you are in life. There is no scope for failure,’ a teacher reportedly said, addressing her class about the forthcoming boards exams.

It is hard to say if the statement sounds ominous, advisory or downright bullying, but a classroom of sixteen-year-olds sat in stilled silence, not disregarding the gravity of what they had just heard but fretting inwardly that their teacher had put them on an ultimatum. Buck up or back out.

It is that time of the year when lakhs of highschoolers feel flogged by the pressure of board exams. Year after year, students travel this rocky road, saddled with expectations of parents, fears of their own and steamrollering by teachers. And every year, good students pass out, with varying degrees of merit, find their way in life and make inroads into their career - some with relative ease, the others with extra labour. Yet, they all make it in the end. They all find their niches. So, what was the teacher’s ultimatum all about? Why is there so much panting over what is probably the first major instance of self-assessment the children are putting themselves through?

Every year, around this time, I dwell in uneasy exam thoughts on behalf of millions of students who are busy tying up the final knots to take what they have been made to believe is a ‘make or break’ test in their life. It is with great sympathy that I assess the children’s state, neither undermining the value of education nor belittling the importance of exams in their lives. But it rankles me that children are made to believe that these board exams will be a barometer of their intelligence, self-worth and social growth, and above all, an indication of how well or ill they do in their lives in terms of wealth generation, social status and happy living.

To be fair, parents have toned down their voices in the past few years after debates over children’s mental health gained primacy and instances of teenage depression peaked following exam and admission stress. Despite significant decrease in the decibel levels, undercurrents of fear and foreboding continue to plague students, thanks to covert references to the board exams being a determining factor that builds careers. Students are still keyed up to breaking points and we, as parents, teachers and guardians, need to find definitive ways to relieve them of the pressure.

A little stress will always work as a motivation; a spur in times of looming lethargy, but what I see among many students, even those who have supportive parents, is a mindset that does not allow them to grow into their best versions. It is here that we adults must step in and be a beacon to them, guiding them through their crucial junctures, not by placing excessive importance on performance but by giving them insights into what is good education and how it is in the learning that the merit lies.

We are all eager for our children to build impeccable futures, but as people who have walked many miles crossing puddles and pitfalls of every conceivable kind, we also know that life can be quirky, delivering loose balls at times, and googlies at the others. To make our children cognizant of this eccentric nature of life and to teach them ways to cope when things go awry is what we must focus on, even when they are burning the midnight oil for an exam that several years down the lane will only be a statistic that no one will remember.

Like many other tests in life, the board exams are just one of those check posts in life that we need to pass through. They allow our children to enter the next phase of their lives and explore newer things. It does not determine their prospects in the larger scheme of things, nor stall their progress even if they fall short for some unpredictable reason. It is a pitstop in their journey to wherever they want to go based on their interest and inclination, and our duty is to give them the confidence they need to take bold decisions and action.

As parents, we have no right to imply that their failure will bring us social shame; that their percentiles determine our worth as successful parents. We have no license to terrrorise them into becoming geeks with Google prospects. As teachers, we must not let their stress and fear drive our KPI indices and appraisals. If there is anything we can do for them in these testing times, it is to reassure them that no matter what numbers they receive, life will always find them ways to thrive if they are willing to strive without giving up or going astray.

Telling tales of light with the camera

(Feature in wknd magazine of Khaleej Times dated 26 February, 2023)

Bombora. The name of Australian photographer Andrew Semark’s booth at the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah sounded intriguing and exotic at once. The walls were adorned with lavish visuals of the ocean in all its resplendence – the azurine tones, emerald greens and matte greys merging with the frothy whites of breaking waves.

Breaking waves. That’s what Bombora means. And it is what Andrew has been obsessed with for 15 years, an obsession that he captured in photographs and exhibited to the world.

Andrew is besotted with the ocean and has known the waves from close quarters. He learned to surf them first, and when he became adept at reading the characteristics of the surging waters, he committed himself to seize their grandeur, beauty and power in his camera. Commitment - it is what defines Andrew’s passion for the art that depicts the dynamic nature of the sea surface in breathtaking ways.

Everything that one sees in the picture is natural – from the shapes of the waves to the myriad hues they display. Although the sea is blue in popular description, one look at Andrew’s work and you know it is not just blue.

‘It is all about light. It illuminates the water differently at different times of the day,’ he avers when I express disbelief over the changing colours of the ocean in his images. The sheer magnitude of his attempts to bring the ocean to life in his photographs is evident when he talks about the detailed planning, the dangers he confronts and the need to be present in the moment while he is capturing the images.

An error in judgement or failure to respond quickly to an oncoming wave could mean catastrophe, which nearly had him drowned two years ago. ‘My eardrums were ruptured, my arms seriously bruised by the camera when I was tossed around and pushed to the bottom of the sea by a huge crashing wave,’ he reminisces without a shudder.

The ocean is where Andrew has anchored his life. The risks don’t deter him from going out into the waters because the ocean humbles him and brings peace and purpose in his life. He concludes by comparing the waves to humans – each one different, at times quirky and violent, but always with a beauty of their own.

A journey of self-discovery

If human spirit had to be summarised in pictures, if the meaning of life can be distilled into a phrase, it is in the compelling visual stories that Michael Aboya crafts and titles ‘The light within’. To all those who thought photography was about clicking a few random pictures in our aim and shoot devices, it is time to reconsider their fallacy.

27-year-old Michael’s foray into photography has spiritual undertones to it. His journey began at a point when he was searching for meaning in life, asking hard questions like why he was born and what his purpose in being here was. They were questions that sprung when he was 19, in the wake of his father’s untimely demise, a loss that made him feel colossally lost. It was photography that pulled him out of grief and made him look at life and the world around him with a new perspective – a perspective that he wishes to share with the world through his riveting people pictures.

Each image is a depiction of bursting hope, joy and love spontaneously captured. ‘It reflects the light that we all invariably carry within us. Photographs can speak to us, and through the pictures I shot, I wanted to tell people to be strong and have faith despite all the darkness around. Also, I realised that in order for me to find myself, I must capture other people’s stories because regardless of what they went through, people always found a way to be happy. I decided to find how they did that by taking their photographs and studying them,’ says Michael, who is filled with unwavering faith and wisdom.

The profound notes that accompany this Ghanaian photographer’s works are an exposition of his philosophies and his positive outlook. Together with these, his photographs make a ready reckoner for life and an instant motivation to distressed souls. ‘Your art made my day,’ a visitor’s remark sums up the impact of Michael’s works on his audience.

Bringing dead leaves to life

If Bambora is an intriguing title and ‘The light within’ is uplifting, ‘Fallen leaves’ might sound a tad melancholic for its connotations, but what I was treated to at Filipp Kabanyayev’s photo booth were the most sanguine sights that one can get at a photo exhibition. Leaves, leaves and leaves, but not one alike nor in the shape or colour one would associate with fallen foliage. ‘Is this photography, really?’ I ask the 35-year-old year old Russian photographer from the US in disbelief.

‘It is. It is a combination of nature’s elements and human technique. Leaves are not something that people consider beautiful, especially the fallen ones. So I wanted to bring out their beauty by showing them through light painting photography,’ Filipp explains about his unique art form.

There is nothing elaborate in Filipp’s creations. They are minimalistic yet striking with vivid colours and textures. To bring such magnificence to something as mundane as fallen leaves takes immense effort and patience, and Filipp finds his devotion to his art deeply soothing and meditative. ‘The hardest part is,’ he says, each leaf is different, and it takes time to find the right angle that would reveal its unique qualities.’

For someone to whom expression of thoughts through words doesn’t come easily, his art helps him showcase his view of the world in an artistic manner. To him, like Andrew and Michael, photography is not a mere hobby or a means to make a living. It is life itself. It is what sustains them and keeps them in sync with their soul. Their pictures are dependent on light, both external and internal, and every click of theirs is a magnum opus in itself.