INJUSTICES & INEQUALITIES: COVID-19
EDITION 7
©Flor Castaneda
As Coronavirus continues to spread throughout the world, it is increasing social injustices and bringing inequalities to the forefront. In the 7th edition of the Journal on “Injustice & Inequalities: Covid-19”, we present the work of three great photographers who share the tremendous challenges of those in the grips of poverty, homelessness. The pandemic has widened social inequalities. And injustices are strongly lived among the most poor hit hard by the pandemic and regulations that do not protect them.
The divide is becoming greater. These are issues we need to see, reflect upon and action.
Photo editor: Cinzia D’Ambrosi
Zaragoza, Spain
Cris Aznar
Since the state of alarm ended and the courts reopened, dozens of evictions have been scheduled, of families in vulnerable situations, with women survivors of gender violence, refugee families, young pregnant women, elderly people with health problems. The pandemic has increased inequalities, has further impoverished those most at risk, and institutions are not able to manage this problem, and don´t offer a housing alternative, so these families are forced to occupy empty homes belonging to the bank, sharing a house with many more people -increasing the risk of contagion-, or staying homeless. A decree has recently been approved that prevents evictions due to covid without a housing alternative, but … what happens to families who have been dragging this situation since before this pandemic?
All Photographs ©Cris Aznar
Cris Aznar. 1981. Zaragoza. Photographer. Artivist.Independent communicator. A woman who looks and observes, studies photography to feel and understand, to express in her exhibitions and react to reality with senses and feelings, gray lights and gender colors that shape her involvement as a person in the defense of human rights. His eyes have passed through Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Energy, intention and heart in photography, seeks real reporting, documentary and humanism focused on art as a form of expression and engine of change.
Cris Aznar
Web: www.crisaznar.com
Instagram: @crisaznarphotographer link: https://www.instagram.com/crisaznarphotographer/
Facebook: Cris Aznar – Link: https://www.facebook.com/Cris.Aznar/
Mompiche: quarantine days
Barbara Traver
Mompiche is a fishing village located south of the city of Esmeraldas in Ecuador, where I spent two months of quarantine with the local people. This place was affected due to the health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, since its main source of income is a tourism and artisanal fisheries, reducing its activity between half of March and April. More than 4000 fishermen in the area had to stop working. They have had problems buying food for their family because they are still stranded without being able to fish and more than 70 other fishermen have left the activity in which they have been catching for more than 20 years. The artisanal fishermen are a vulnerable group since they have few labor rights and most have no social security or labor insurance.
After the closure of the borders very little food arrives and its price increases more and
more. The limited circumstances lead us to collaborate with the fishermen in their work to obtain our portion of fish, becoming our first activity of the day.
©Barbara Traver
The beach of Mompiche, where all the boats come and go.
©Barbara Traver
A fisherman handing out Carita (a typical fish in peaceful waters) to one of his helpers that day.
©Barbara Traver
Barbara Traver – I am not from here or there, I was born in Madrid (Spain), but since I was nine years old I have lived in various places in Spain and also outside of Spain. Currently, my base is between Valencia, Spain, where I settled in 2014 to study at the Espai d’art fotogràfic school and finished in 2017 with the Master in Photography: Creation and Production. At the end of 2017, I moved to Madrid to take the course “Creativity and strategies in contemporary photography” at the EFTI school, taught by Javier Vallhonrat. Thanks to this course, I started to develop my project “, te quiere, mamá”, showing it in several festivals like the seminar of photography and photojournalism in Albarracín or in the cultural hall CC Pati Llimona, in Barcelona. I have also been invited as an artist in the project “Un mundo paralelo” (Spain, 2017) curated by Joan Fontcuberta I have also self-published two photobooks, exhibited in different national and international spaces, and giving several talks.
Bárbara Traver
Fotógrafa y educadora visual
LinkedIn | Instagram | Web
THROUGH THE STREETS OF THE PANDEMIC
FLOR CASTANEDA
It is early in the streets and the cold of a January morning creeps into the bones and Dona Juana Serrano, who is 63 years old, has already started one more day of work. She is one of the “little ants” who travel the city every day with a broom, sack and dustpan and has done it with pleasure for more than 28 years, she is the person who has worked the longest in the cleaning crew of the city. The pandemic has not slowed down her work or her spirits: “I really like my job, because I had nothing and all I have is thanks to what I do, it is also like cleaning my house, the street is my house and I like to take care of her “- says” Juanita “as the merchants call her who greet her as they pass.
Despite her age and the risk that she implies, she continues with her work. 2 months ago one of her colleagues contracted COVID while doing her work and even had to be hospitalized to recover; “I do want to get vaccinated, because I’m always on the street and I don’t want to make anyone sick in my house, I’ve already lost many of my people”, says Juanita, referring to her husband who died of influenza a month ago and her brother died from complications with diabetes a week ago, she lives with her two older children and a one-year-old grandson.
Due to the health crisis, of 100% of the manual sweeping cleaning staff, only 40% is active to avoid contagion, so the workers divide the 32 cleaning areas that make up the historic center. A good strategy would be to prioritize the application of the vaccine among municipal cleaning personnel, due to the nature of their work and the risk it entails.
All Photographs ©Flor Castaneda
