We have only been in Amman for a day, but after listening to stories from dozens of women from Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Egypt, Turkey, Palestine, Iran, and Jordan, to name a few, we feel like we've been traveling in the Middle East/ North Africa (MENA) region for much longer. The story of the women's movement in the MENA region has, unfortunately, been given little voice, even though so much political and social change has occurred in the last few years. That's one reason why we feel so honored to have the opportunity to document a slice of the unfolding history of the women's rights movement here and to help tell the courageous stories of these women at such a crucial moment in history. Yesterday, we photographed a gathering of leaders participating in the Global Fund for Women's MENA convening to discuss strategies for building on the momentum for change to improve the rights of women and girls.

The event started last night with a reception at the Landmark Hotel, where participants were assembled with all the joyousness of a reunion of friends who have not seen each others in years. Here's a peek from the gathering last night :)

View from the hotel. Global Fund for Women Regional Convening in Amman, Jordan. © Bowerbird Photography, 2014. — View from the hotel. Global Fund for Women Regional Convening in Amman, Jordan. © Bowerbird Photography, 2014.

Global Fund for Women Regional Convening in Amman, Jordan. © Bowerbird Photography, 2014. — Global Fund for Women Regional Convening in Amman, Jordan. © Bowerbird Photography, 2014.

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam