South African photographer Jodi Bieber has won the major award in the 54th annual World Press Photo awards. Bieber’s winning image was published on the August 9 cover of Time magazine and shows Bibi Aisha, an 18-year-old Afghan woman who was deliberately disfigured as punishment for leaving her Taliban husband.
According to a statement from the World Press Photo: “At the age of 12, Aisha and her younger sister had been given to the family of a Taliban fighter under a Pashtun tribal custom for settling disputes. When she reached puberty she was married to him, but she later returned to her parents' home, complaining of violent treatment by her in-laws.
"Men arrived there one night demanding that she be handed over to be punished for running away. Aisha was taken to a mountain clearing, where she was held down, and had first her ears sliced off, and then her nose. In local culture, a man who has been shamed by his wife is said to have lost his nose, and such treatment is considered punishment in kind.
“Aisha was abandoned, but later rescued and taken to a shelter in Kabul run by the aid organization Women for Afghan Women, where she was given treatment and psychological help. After time in the refuge, she was taken to America, where she received counseling and reconstructive surgery.”
Jury member Ruth Eichhorn commented: “It's an incredibly strong image. It sends out an enormously powerful message to the world, about the 50% of the population that are women, so many of whom still live in miserable conditions, suffering violence. It is strong because the woman looks so dignified, iconic.”
Jodi Bieber has previously won eight World Press Photo awards and is only the second South African photographer to win the highest honor in the contest.
This year, a record 108,059 images were submitted to the contest from 5,691 photographers representing 125 different nationalities.
Australian photographers recognised by the World Press Photo were Daniel Berehulak (People in the News – First Prize, Stories), Adam Pretty (Sports – First Prize, Stories), and Steve Christo (Sports – Third Prize, Singles).
Following the judging of the contest, the jury decided to name a Special Mention to a 12-picture series of photographs made by the miners trapped for 69 days inside the San José mine in Chile, 700 meters underground, before they were rescued on 13 October.
Jury member Abir Abdullah said: “This recognition opens up the possibility of showing citizen journalism, when professional photographers have not had the opportunity to be some place, but because of technological development, someone can record it… it brings us into a new era that challenges professionals, and this is a good example of a photo from a place where a photojournalist could not possibly have been.”
The jury considers a visual document for a Special Mention when it has played an essential role in the news reporting of the year worldwide and could not have been made by a professional photographer.
More info: www.worldpressphoto.org
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