Women: The Future of Mosul (2019) by Aisha DukaliAl-Ghad Radio
Life under ISIS was brutal for all Maslawis but a huge amount of the violence was exacted against women.
Womanhood was weaponised under ISIS, dichotomising women as either virgins or whores and creating strict rules, punishments, and approaches to administer to both categories.
This painting depicts women as sad, distorted witnesses, with bold and defiant gazes that blaze out from the canvas.
These women are held in a dreamlike suspension although there is a great deal of movement in the brushstrokes surrounding them implying a sense of forward motion and momentum towards the future.
Women need to be represented and involved in decision-making for the future of Mosul.
Painting by Aisha Dukali, brought to you by Al-Ghad Radio.
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