Photo © Tatsiana Tkachova
Portrait - NOMINEE: Tatsiana Tkachova
Between right and shame
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Two years ago I found out that my mother had an abortion in her past. I asked her about
it. Mom spoke reluctantly, almost in a whisper. “Abortion” is a taboo word for many
women in Belarus. They try not to pronounce it or replace it with another word. Almost
none of the women in the country even admit that they have had such an experience.
In Belarus, abortion is not banned. According to the Ministry of Health, in 2016 27,467
abortions took place. In Belarus, there are 23.5 abortions per 100 live births.
Approximately 40% of women interrupt pregnancy for economic reasons. According to
the latest changes in the law, the doctor may refuse to perform an abortion. Every year
there are “no abortion week” campaigns in Belarus. The chief freelance obstetrician-
gynecologist of Minsk suggested depriving commercial medical centers of licenses for
pregnancy termination. In the town of Logoisk, all doctors refused to carry out abortions.
Pre-abortion consultation rooms have appeared in clinics. In most cases the woman
cannot receive psychological assistance in order to make the right decision for her. She
is pressurised and persuaded to give birth. There is no counselling to allow the woman
to deal with the abortion and its consequences.
The project tells the stories of several women who chose abortion for different reasons.
“I will allow you to photograph my back - no need to shoot my face” – on condition that
no photos were taken of her face, one of the women participated in the project. All of
them have their own histories, that they carry with them all their lives: the Chernobyl
tragedy, a violence case, an early pregnancy occurrence, a difficult birth episode, a life
threatening illness, fear of being a single mother, husband cheating or financial
difficulties.
For them, participation in a project is an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and
be heard. The topic of abortion is not only about choosing whether to give birth or not.
This is about how women and men are building their relationships in the country, this is
about the real status of the woman in Belarusian society.
About author:
Tatsiana Tkachova, photographer, 32 years old. Born in Krasnopolye, Mogilev region, Belarus. Graduated from the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts with Culturology degree (2010-2014), and from the Academy of Documentary Photography and Photojournalism «Fotografika» in St. Petersburg (2015-2016). She worked for four years in the Museum of the History of Belarusian Literature (Minsk). Engaged curated exhibitions. Now she works as a photojournalist in the newspaper “Zviazda” in Belarus and currently working on long-term projects in documentary photography. The main theme her projects is a «Women» and intimate experiences of a person.
it. Mom spoke reluctantly, almost in a whisper. “Abortion” is a taboo word for many
women in Belarus. They try not to pronounce it or replace it with another word. Almost
none of the women in the country even admit that they have had such an experience.
In Belarus, abortion is not banned. According to the Ministry of Health, in 2016 27,467
abortions took place. In Belarus, there are 23.5 abortions per 100 live births.
Approximately 40% of women interrupt pregnancy for economic reasons. According to
the latest changes in the law, the doctor may refuse to perform an abortion. Every year
there are “no abortion week” campaigns in Belarus. The chief freelance obstetrician-
gynecologist of Minsk suggested depriving commercial medical centers of licenses for
pregnancy termination. In the town of Logoisk, all doctors refused to carry out abortions.
Pre-abortion consultation rooms have appeared in clinics. In most cases the woman
cannot receive psychological assistance in order to make the right decision for her. She
is pressurised and persuaded to give birth. There is no counselling to allow the woman
to deal with the abortion and its consequences.
The project tells the stories of several women who chose abortion for different reasons.
“I will allow you to photograph my back - no need to shoot my face” – on condition that
no photos were taken of her face, one of the women participated in the project. All of
them have their own histories, that they carry with them all their lives: the Chernobyl
tragedy, a violence case, an early pregnancy occurrence, a difficult birth episode, a life
threatening illness, fear of being a single mother, husband cheating or financial
difficulties.
For them, participation in a project is an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and
be heard. The topic of abortion is not only about choosing whether to give birth or not.
This is about how women and men are building their relationships in the country, this is
about the real status of the woman in Belarusian society.
About author:
Tatsiana Tkachova, photographer, 32 years old. Born in Krasnopolye, Mogilev region, Belarus. Graduated from the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts with Culturology degree (2010-2014), and from the Academy of Documentary Photography and Photojournalism «Fotografika» in St. Petersburg (2015-2016). She worked for four years in the Museum of the History of Belarusian Literature (Minsk). Engaged curated exhibitions. Now she works as a photojournalist in the newspaper “Zviazda” in Belarus and currently working on long-term projects in documentary photography. The main theme her projects is a «Women» and intimate experiences of a person.