Palestinian photojournalist gets international women award
Palestinian freelance photojournalist Fatima Shbair has been awarded the seventh annual Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award, the International Women’s Media Foundation announced. The award was created in honour of German Associated Press photojournalist Anja Niedringhaus who was killed in Afghanistan in 2014.
The award, USD 20 000, honours women photojournalists who take risks to capture humanity in dire circumstances, illuminating underreported and sometimes silenced stories.
Shbair’s portfolio rose above more than 100 applications that represented women photojournalists from more than 40 countries. At 24 years old, Shbair is the youngest winner of the ‘Anja Award’ to-date and is a self-taught, freelance photojournalist. Her portfolio, “11 Days of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” includes unique moments of tension, violence, devastation, and hope all captured from Gaza City in May 2021, the Foundation said.
“Life here is different, and I had to find a way to [show] what was happening,” Shbair told the foundation from Gaza. “Despite successive wars and tragedies, people here dig deep in search of hope, and their lives matter – it’s my responsibility to convey their voices to the world.”
The IWMF also recognized two other women photojournalists with honourable mentions in the competition: Brazilian photojournalist Adriana Zehbrauskas, currently working in Phoenix, Arizona, and Iranian-Canadian photographer Kiana Hayeri, who is based in Kabul, Afghanistan. Zehbrauskas’ portfolio included portrayals of migration and the toll of COVID-19 in Latin America, while Hayeri’s work spotlighted the rising conflict and looming crisis in Afghanistan from an alternative perspective.
Moonshot News is an independent European news website for all IT, Media and Advertising professionals, powered by women and with a focus on driving the narrative for diversity, inclusion and gender equality in the industry.
Our mission is to provide top and unbiased information for all professionals and to make sure that women get their fair share of voice in the news and in the spotlight!
We produce original content, news articles, a curated calendar of industry events and a database of women IT, Media and Advertising associations.
