Women’s Bodies as Battlefields
In the Tigray conflict, involving Tigrayan forces, the Ethiopian federal government, Amhara militia and Eritrean military, sexual violence against women is used as a true weapon of war. Despite the 2018 peace agreement, presented as a turning point in bilateral relations, these abuses—including gang rape, sexual slavery, torture, and mutilation—have not ceased. They are designed to break collective identity and punish those attempting to flee. Women are targeted in order to destabilize entire communities.
The ruling powers mask these crimes through institutional propaganda built on denial and the obstruction of justice. In the face of this concealment, survivors are organizing to document these atrocities. Within refugee camps and diaspora networks, they collaborate with human rights organizations and establish mutual aid systems. By testifying, they fight against erasure and transform their status from victims into active agents in the quest for justice.
Cinzia Canneri
Italian Cinzia Canneri explores the human condition through social change, gender issues, and migration. In the Horn of Africa, she has documented women’s resilience in the face of conflict. Her project Women’s Bodies as Battlefields has received prestigious awards, including a World Press Photo (2025) and POYi (2026). Her work has appeared in major publications like the New York Times, L’Obs, The Observer, and Days Japan.
Exhibition presented free of charge in the 1912 Building of La Pulperie.
Exhibition presented within the framework of the Zoom Photo Festival Saguenay.
For more information on the Zoom Photo Festival Saguenay, consult the zoomphotofestival.ca
