Photo by Connie Frisbee Houde. A daughter watches her mother showing her products. From the sales of her work, she buys supplies for the cooperative as well as supports her family.

The leader of an economic cooperative in Estalif started with only a few Afghan women. Now there are five shuras of approximately 100 women in each. They learn traditional Afghan embroidery, tailoring and pottery. From the sales of their work, they buy supplies for the cooperative, as well as support their families.  

Photo by Anna Beeke. Fadma, an older weaver from the Ait Hamza weaving cooperative, poses in her home.

Women in Morocco have maintained the age-old craft of indigenous weaving. This project seeks to document the environment and culture of female weavers who have recently begun to participate in local and global markets. It specifically focuses on artisans from three rural weaving communities: Ain Leuh, Ait Hamza, and Taznakht. 

Photo by Joanna Lipper. The thin thread that connects seaweed farmers in Zanzibar to the global economy is growing more fragile by the day as poverty levels rise and environmental and economic activities like seaweed farming become increasingly unsustainable.

In Jambiani, a rural village on the east coast of Unguja, some women work as seaweed farmers. On a global level, the import and export of seaweed is a $200 billion business, with the United States importing nearly $50 billion worth each year. Zanzibar is at a disadvantage when it comes to profits derived from seaweed cultivation because the islands lack the large-scale infrastructure and hardware needed to process seaweed and extract valuable algae. Without microfinance loans, improved education, and community organization amongst laborers, there can be no further growth for seaweed farming as a cash-generating empowering occupation for rural village women. 

Photo by Rania Matar. Nun with Blowing Veil, Saydat al Nouryeh Convent, Chekka 2008.

This exhibit focuses on women and children of the Middle East. Whereas the media typically covers the Middle East in a sensational manner: terrorism, bombings and kidnappings, the large majority of the inhabitants are just ordinary people going on with their everyday lives.