To complete the survey of “Women at the front”, I cannot not mention the last three photographers presented: Susan Meiselas, Carolyn Cole, both still active, and Anja Niedringhaus who lost her life tragically at an Afghan checkpoint way too early and was robbed of many more photographs she will never make. All three are driven, dedicated, committed to report on what they saw, to share with the rest of the world human misery and suffering, the life and death of others. Whether it is Susan Meiselas in Nicaragua and El Salvador, Carolyn Cole in Iraq and Liberia or Anja Niedringhaus in Afghanistan or Iraq, these three women demonstrated courage and determination in their art, using their skills to convey powerful stories. Their work also serves as a reminder of the risks photojournalists take to document important stories and the impact of visual storytelling on our understanding of the world. The exhibit “Women at the Front” at the Fotomuseum in The Hague is wider in scope than the same seen in Paris a year ago, covers the work of the same exceptional eight women and hopefully will serve as a trigger for other girls to follow their remarkable footsteps.
