After 4 weeks, I finally finished my first ever book for 2026. While my relationship with the book started pre-pandemic, I’m happy the 7-year wait is over, and I finally to read its totality.
The book has opened my eyes to so many things as a woman, as a feminist, and most of all, as a human simply.
When I was younger, I would get annoyed whenever they’d ask us to attend to seminars and talks about “women empowerment.” It never made sense to me why we needed empowering when my mom literally controlled our household, when my grandmother has the final say in her family, when my university has a female leader, and all the prominent figures in my life are women. Reading this book, reminded me of that time, and I thought, if anyone ever asked that again, I’ll tell them the women in this book.
The book is about the project Ann Jones and the International Rescue Committee. It’s called, Global Crescendo. Just like in music, they aim to amplify the voice of women in war-stricken communities in the world through the use of digital cameras. The photos were then exhibited in each of their communities for their leaders and other members to see.
In each of its 6 chapters, Ann tells us the story of the modern day with its outdated violence, and its persistent effect on these women.
Each chapter is filled with heartbreaking stories of abuse in all of its forms. We constantly read about women being discriminated against because of crimes done by men – wives being left by their husbands after being raped by militiamen; children being taken advantage of by men they trust their lives with, teachers even family members and friends.
It’s unbelievable how normalized this set-up is, and since no one listens, and no one cared, they’re stuck in suicide missions disguised as “family situations.”
The art of taking photographs is not something new. It’s even more prominent now with the advancement of technology and the fact that everyone carries a smartphone daily.
The women in the Global Crescendo project learned to speak up and show their reality with just a click of a camera.
As a note to my younger self, and to anyone who might be wondering why we need to be educated about women empowerment, we need it because not every woman knows they have power. Until every woman knows that, this conversation should never die down.
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