Muslim Girls Fence
Photography by Nina Manandhar.
Muslim Girls Fence is a collaboration between the charity Maslaha and British Fencing, aiming to challenge misconceptions of young Muslim women by tapping into the confidence and resilience building associated with the sport. Through a series of creative workshops and fencing sessions, the girls have the opportunity to explore identity, self-expression and challenging stereotypes.
"Fencing attire allows fencers to be fully covered, allowing women to adhere to their own sense of religious guidelines as well as playing a sport comfortably - this is not the case with most sports,” explains Amena Amer, Project Coordinator for Muslim Girls Fence, Maslaha. “In contrast to their being constantly under the spotlight, fencing attire, especially the mask, allows women a sense of anonymity which can be freeing in a context where they are generally faced with being looked at or framed through the lens of being Muslim.”
In this joyous and powerful series, Nina Manandhar points her lens at these young, rapier-wielding fencers at Wapping High School as they learn to fence in the bright sunshine, under the passing shadows of London’s skyline.
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