The one you love, you beat. "“ proverb, Sweden
More than a third of all women in the world are subjected to physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. The most common type is Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) which one out of three women have to suffer. No country, and no economical class or age is exempted; and it has dire effects. Depression, alcohol abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and physical injuries are merely part of the outcome.
Cause of Death: Woman is a unique investigative report on violence against women in the world, describing atrocities ranging from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and acid attacks to more hidden types like psychological and physical violence between partners and rape.
Between 2010 and 2012 I documented the situation in ten countries together with reporters Karin Alfredsson and Kerstin Weigl. The primary result of the work is the website www.causeofdeathwoman.com, an open resource for anyone who is interested, but with large focus on reaching out through organizations, schools, workshops and lectures around the world. The site contains all of our journalistic work as well as downloadable course material and a Do-It-Yourself exhibition.
Cause of Death: Woman has been mention and published in newspapers and magazines around the world from China and Italy to Sweden and the United States. My photographic work was awarded the special prize in the Swedish Picture of the Year Award 2013. The project has been exhibited in China and Sweden, as well as in many smaller initiatives..
The project is the work of the three of us together with the Swedish Association of Women's Shelters and Young Women's Empowerment Centres, SKR. Funding was received from, among others, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Stieg Larsson Foundation and the Sigrid Rausing Trust.
The countries included in the project are the USA, South Africa, Egypt, Sweden, Pakistan, Mexico, Brazil, Congo, Spain and Russia.