Hawaa Studio

Building gender capacity in the visual arts.

Location: Diyala

Host: Oxfam Iraq

Invested: $17,000

Needed: $20,000

Hawaa Studio is increasing the equity of women photographers to male photographers at events where gender segregation is still prominent.

The Challenge

In Diyala, an area of Iraq where gender segregation is noticeably prominent. Many times during events, women do not feel comfortable asking male photographers or are not allowed in specific spaces due to the segregation. This leads to many occasions and events being recorded with mobile phones and not documented well.

The Solution

Hawaa Studio is a social enterprise that trains women on photography, editing, recording, and production. The women will have access to the studio and all the tools and equipment necessary to be full-scale professional photographers. The enterprise will work on skilling and integrating women into the industry. The result will enable women in Iraqi cities to document their lives, events, and life moments safely and customarily. 

Hawaa Studio will aim to provide the opportunity of this program to women who have suffered from poverty, abuse, or displacement. The end goal is to provide long-term financial stability to these women and their families through an industry skill-set in demand.