#woman #culture

Photo by Stephanie Sinclair @stephsinclairpix // Josephine Kulea was 9 years old, every other week, one of her classmates would stop coming to school. One by one they were first circumcised and then married off to men more than 30 to 40 years older than them, many of whom were already married to other women. Kulea was somewhat fortunate. Though she was circumcised in preparation for marriage, she had the support of her mother, who championed her education and resisted family pressure to marry her off at a young age. Kulea has since helped create the @SamburuGirlsFoundation, which rescues girls escaping traditional practices, such as child marriage and female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation / cutting (FGM/C). “[Our work] is very difficult, because there is no political will or support,” said Kulea, noting that even though the law supports her efforts, the very traditional community adamantly resists any change in these rituals. Earlier this year, Kenya became the 19th country to join the African Union's Campaign to End Child Marriage, which aims to speed up change across Africa by encouraging governments to develop strategies to raise awareness of child marriage and address it’s harmful repercussions. Since then, the effort has attracted a burgeoning roster of child advocates, from government officials and religious authorities to traditional leaders and former child brides—all committed to serving as champions of change in Africa. . This image is part of a 175-image exhibition titled “Too Young to Wed,” which is the inaugural exhibition at the new L’Arche du Photojournalisme, atop at the prestigious Grand Arche de la Defense in Puteaux, Paris. Many of the images were made #onassignment for @natgeo. The show, which opened June 1 and runs through Sept. 24, is complete with educational information about the dangers of #childmarriage and the efforts underway around the world to end the practice – including our work at our nonprofit organization of the same name, @TooYoungToWed. @letoitdelagrandearche #samburugirlsfoundation #girls #letgirlslearn #girlseducation #kenya #paris #africanchampionsforchange

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Jul 14, 2017 at 9:42am PDT

Spent the day at the #nationalmuseumlagos , unfortunately we aren't permitted to take pics in most of the areas but It was super fun to take a step back in history. It was great to see the important role beads played in our various cultures, from currency to fashion for both men and women. The atrocities men got up too and the codes women had to adhere to in the past where sometimes hilarious and other times sickening. Appreciative of how far we've come but aware that we've got so much further to go. #myhistory

A post shared by Zuriperle Statement Jewelry (@zuriperle) on Jun 15, 2017 at 10:55am PDT

Photograph by David Chancellor @chancellordavid -- Prior to attending Imuget le nkarna (celebration of 10 years as a warrior) Samburu moran (warriors) wash by the edge of a dam before applying red ochre to their bodies. The Samburu are know as the ‘butterfly people’ by other warrior tribes, because of the bright colours they dress in and their flamboyant body adornments. They live in the northern highlands of Kenya. The Samburu have an ancient connection to elephant, they require elephant dung to marry and consider them sacred. Any Samburu that kills an elephant brings ‘alanna’ a curse upon his family. Across Africa growing populations and deepening poverty have intensified the battle between man and animals for the same land and environmental resources. Increasingly, animals are pushed into smaller pockets of wilderness, their migration routes closed off, and their water supplies damned and irrigated for crops. Illegal poaching and hunting has decimated their numbers. At the same time, rural farmers have learned to mistrust wildlife, killing those animals who have encroached further onto their land. If wildlife conservation is to succeed, it is imperative to find a way for man and animal to coexist in suitable harmony --From work and projects documenting community conservation #withbutterfliesandwarriors --To see more of my work and projects follow me @chancellordavid and here @natgeo #withbutterfliesandwarriors #communityconservation #nopoaching #forrangers #kenya #samburu #rhino #elephant @francescamaffeogallery @hellokiosk @kinetic_six

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Jul 12, 2017 at 7:21am PDT

Fun times @re.le gallery. One of my favorite pieces, not sure what the artist had in mind when he created it but It made me think of dreamcatchers and promises of dreams yet to be fulfilled. ❤🇳🇬 check out my Insta stories for more and do go see their current exhibition #ayoola if you are in lagos. Wearing my fresh water pearl and lapis necklace

A post shared by Zuriperle Statement Jewelry (@zuriperle) on Jun 11, 2017 at 12:23pm PDT

Photo by @paleyphoto (Matthieu Paley). How is life in a remote village in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains, near the border with Afghanistan? Last summer, I spent a couple of weeks there with my family; you can read my story titled “Home on the Range" in the latest National Geographic magazine. Here, a bride awaits the arrival of her husband. For years, marriages in this region had been arranged by the bride’s and groom’s parents. Today, many couples meet on social media sites or while at university and refer with pride to their bonds as “arranged love marriages”. Visit @paleyphoto for more images from this story @natgeocreative #Pakistan #Karakoram #gojal #Wakhi #weddingdress

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Apr 30, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

"I want to become an engineer to help rebuild my city” says Aysha, who attends a UNICEF-supported primary school in Mosul, Iraq. © UNICEF/UN072407/Rfaat

A post shared by UNICEF (@unicef) on Jul 20, 2017 at 10:55am PDT

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