Women's Empowerment in Burkina Features at Visual Arts Exhibition!

Four photographs depicting a glimpse of the journey of Burkina's women were selected by a jury for an exhibition marking the launch of a partnership between Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) and the Harvard Allston Education Portal. This flagship event celebrated the work of numerous artists from Brighton-Allston and neighboring communities. At the popular Grand Opening Reception, sculpture, paintings, and photographs were shared with the public.

Among these was the Burkina set of photos, that depict the phenomenal workloads of women of all ages in this West African nation. This series of photos also portrays the story of workload lightening technology managed by the women themselves. The end result was time freed up for the women, who could then opt for income-generating activities and encourage their daughters to go to school. The concluding photo captures the Interm Empress of the Mossi Kingdom. The photos were taken over a period of four decades by UVA Council of Advisors Founding Member Brenda Gael McSweeney, based on her work in Burkina Faso alongside Scholastique Kompaoré, National Coordinator of the UNESCO-led Equal Access of Women and Girls to Education Project.

Brenda with Artist/UVA Members Exhibit Co-Curator Ruth Rieffanaugh
alongside the Burkina photo-story (Photo: John Quatrale)

See the full set of photographs of the UVA-Harvard Allston Education Portal exhibition launch here!