For Women Who Roar Magazine

Poto Mitan

Photography

There is an expression in Haiti, “fanm se poto mitan.” It means women are the middle pillar and base of all society. But 70 percent of all girls in Haiti between the ages of 15 and 42 will experience some form of sexual or physical abuse. To define the archetype of women in Haiti is multi-faceted, non-binary. The grandmother of one young girl by the name of Yolande mentioned that in times of hardship and in times of joy she remembers, “fanm gen fanm.” Women carry the women that have come before them - they can call forth this strength that they have within themselves. This polaroid project is from the years I lived in the Central Plateau of Haiti in the middle of some rice fields, nestled by the mountains. It’s an exploration of the places where femininity resides in Haitian society.