Women’s Resilience in War
An elderly woman holding a walking stick, with her dogs, walks past a residential building damaged by a Russian air strike, following Russian attacks on Borodyanka, Ukraine, on April 7, 2022.
The town of Borodyanka was occupied for the entire month of March by Russian forces before being liberated in early April. Hundreds of civilians were killed during the occupation, mostly buried to death in the debris of collapsed buildings following tense attacks.
© Daniel Ceng
Submission Statement:
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought apocalyptic horror and consequences to the Eastern European country, destroying houses, killing tens of thousands of innocent people, and injuring countless others. Often, news outlets around the world adopt a narrative through text and images that fear and anxiety have been instilled into the day-to-day life of the Ukrainian people, especially women. But this is not true. Most Ukrainian females I have met during my 6-month stay in Ukraine said they are not afraid, they will not be scared by the atrocities, and they are strong enough to continue on their life without fear of death. This photo of an elderly Ukrainian woman and her dogs walking past a building damaged by a Russian air strike explores the inner mentality and characteristics of Ukrainian women and woman as a whole, showcasing the fact that they are are resilient, strong, and capable of coping with challenges in times of difficulties. Women are not weak. Women are not easily defeated, frightened, nor intimated.
Author Background:
23-year-old Daniel Ceng is an Asian photojournalist covering politics, social issues, spot news, wars, and more around the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Southeast Asia.
He has been working with several international wire agencies and news outlets, including The European Pressphoto Agency (EPA Images), The Guardian, AFP, AP, ZUMA Press, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Initium.
In particular, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfolded in February 2022, Daniel took the initiative to enter the war-torn country in the first week of March.
During his six-month stay in Ukraine, he traveled to different war-torn cities, towns, villages as well as front lines in Donbass, reporting on the aftermath of Moscow's brutal invasion and its prolonged impacts on the most vulnerable groups.
He is dedicated to unique, authentic and quality photojournalism while striving room for improvement in the long run.
