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Khatoon
Giovanni de Mojana
Series description

In the 2024 Global Gender Gap Index, Pakistan was ranked 145 out of 146. However, since the first Aurat March (International Women’s Day) was celebrated in 2018, women in Pakistan have been reshaping a country that was born less than a century ago and is situated in one of the world’s most unstable regions. Khatoon (Urdu for ‘woman’), captures the extraordinary stories of ordinary women through portraits, landscapes and audio interviews. From boxers to NGO CEOs, singers, dancers and motorcyclists, these women – whether they are from rural Punjab, the peaks of Karakoram, or the cities of Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore – each represent a piece of the struggle for a new generation’s rights. This work by Giovanni De Mojana, created in collaboration with Benedetta Gavazzi, 'aims to present a different narrative of a misunderstood region, challenging the Western collective imagination.'

Biography

Giovanni de Mojana was born in Milan, Italy, in 1995. His work explores the interaction between individuals and their environment, combining documentary elements with a dreamlike perspective.
In 2023, he participated in a Magnum Photos workshop with Mark Power and was admitted to the International Class of Visual Journalism and Documentary Photography in Hanover. In 2024, he took part in the Eddie Adams Workshop. He lives and works in Milan as a freelance photographer.

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Noorima Rehan (19) is from Hunza Valley. She began singing at the age of nine and gained fame at 17, when a recording of her singing the adhan went viral. Supported by her family and community, Noorima has become a national celebrity. In the open-minded Hunza region, where gender discrimination is rare, she inspires other girls through social media to pursue their passions. Ghulkin, Gilgilt-Baltistan, Pakistan.
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Distinguished guests and locals from Nagar Valley watch the final match of the Nagar Volleyball Cup, awaiting the award ceremony for the victorious team. No women were present during the match. Here, things are different to Hunza Valley just a few kilometres away, where the gender gap is nearly non-existent. Nagar, Gilgilt-Baltistan, Pakistan.
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Nafisa Shahzad (10) draws on the blackboard at the TCF primary school in Nathoki. The school, run by an NGO promoting female education, convinced her parents to enrol her, offering a better future at no cost. Outside of school, Nafisa helps her family, assisting her mother while her father battles a serious illness. Attending school has sparked her dream of becoming a doctor to help others like her father. Nathoki, Lahore, Pakistan.
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Football players from the Hunza Football Club in Passu prepare for training. Among them is Nadia (16), who began playing football as a child and was encouraged by her uncle to pursue her dream of joining the national team. Though initially met with judgment for wearing trousers instead of the traditional kurta, she persevered. Two years ago she was selected by the Pakistan Football Federation. Passu, Gilgilt Baltistan, Pakistan.
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Portrait of Aradya Khan (25) in Karachi. As a transgender activist and motivational speaker, Aradya leads the Sindh Moorat March and works with the Gender Alliance. Despite facing family rejection and societal challenges, she is dedicated to transgender rights and is studying journalism, aiming for greater acceptance over the next 15 years. Karachi, Pakistan.
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In Lyari, a district of Karachi scarred by past gang violence and military intervention, girls are challenging social norms through boxing. Training at a small gym, these young athletes use the sport to gain strength and independence, defying the daily patriarchal repression in their community. Despite its troubled past, Lyari is now emerging as a centre of inclusion and multiculturalism. Karachi, Pakistan.
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Zenith Irfan, the first Pakistani woman to ride solo across the country, attended the Moto-Matsuri festival as the only female motorcyclist, requiring a bodyguard for safety. Inspired by her late father to travel the world on a motorbike, she has covered 20,000 kilometres and inspired the film Motorcycle Girl. Despite early threats and discouragement from men in the community, Zenith continues to pursue her father's dream. Lahore, Pakistan.
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Friends of the future bride, Sharmeen, dance during her wedding preparations. The ceremony is called a ‘dholki’, which is a celebration with the bride’s friends and parents before the wedding.’ Traditionally, it is held weeks before the wedding day, with women gathering at the bride’s house at night to sing and dance. Karachi, Pakistan.