Self-Immolation in Afghanistan: A Cry for Help

Self-Immolation in Afghanistan: A Cry for Help

Photograph

Stephanie Sinclair

Maker
American, b. 1973

Self-Immolation in Afghanistan: A Cry for Help

2003–2005
Inkjet print
Image: 9 5/16 × 14 in. (23.6 × 35.5 cm)
Gift of the FiftyCrows Foundation, 2015
2015.0133.1711
Inscriptions Label adhered to verso in pencil, BRC: Sinclair 03
TextThe two Afghan women in this image are being treated for burns they inflicted on themselves as an act of protest against abuse and oppression by men. With the rise of the Taliban just a few years into the War on Terror, women’s rights and autonomy were at the mercy of political and cultural power struggles in the region. In response, these women have demonstrated that while female bodies are often policed, they are also utilized by women themselves to assert power.

—Label text, History of Photography [Rotation 15]

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