From Survival To Governance

In the Great Lakes region, women never simply endured history, they have shaped it. Across the region, women have resisted violence, rebuilt communities, preserved collective memory, mediated conflicts, and forged pathways toward justice and peace. Up till now their contributions have too often remained invisible within dominant narratives that position them primarily as victims of conflict rather than agents of transformation.

From Survival to Governance is a virtual exhibition that challenges these reductive representations. Through documentary photography, audio testimonies, video storytelling, and written narrative portraits, the exhibition foregrounds the experiences of women whose lives and work demonstrate the power of leadership emerging from lived realities. These stories are exceptional because they are and reveal the often-overlooked foundations upon which communities survive and recover.

Developed by Sote Pamoja RDC in partnership with the Feminist Centre for Racial Justice (FCRJ) at SOAS University of London, this project operates at the intersection of artistic creation, feminist research, and policy advocacy. It embraces an ethical and participatory approach to documentation, recognizing that storytelling is not only a process of recording experiences but also a political act that shapes how individuals and communities are understood, remembered, and represented.

The women featured in this exhibition are survivors, activists, researchers, educators, community organizers, and governance leaders. Their journeys illuminate the interconnected realities of trauma, resilience, leadership, and social transformation. By centering their voices, the exhibition invites audiences to reconsider established narratives about conflict, governance, and peacebuilding in the Great Lakes region.

Rather than asking how women have been affected by history, this exhibition asks a different question: How have women authored the histories of survival, justice, and reconstruction that continue to shape the region today?

Through this collection of stories, images, and testimonies captured by Isaac Bujirwa, From Survival to Governance affirms that women are not on the margins of history. They are among its principal architects.

Curatorial Statement
By Kija C Malanguka