Meet Laila Ajjawi - the Palestinian street artist graffitiing for women's rights in the Middle East

Words + Interview by Issie Cameron

Laila Ajjawi is a Palestinian street artist striving to change the Jordanian community’s perception of women - one empty wall at a time. Laila’s work has recently featured in international magazines and papers, but her identity, as a displaced refugee and a woman, continues to shape the work she creates.

She was raised just outside of Jordan’s Ibrid Camp, where generations of displaced Palestinians settled after the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Her latest piece questions the country’s exclusive citizenship laws and does this boldly, despite the practice of political graffitiing in the Middle East being dominated by men.

Laila first discovered this form of expression in 2014, when she painted her first mural for Women on Walls, an Egypt-based art festival. The mural, which was dubbed ‘Look at My Mind’, depicts a woman with her head cracked open. Spilling from the woman's skull are vibrant and kaleidoscopic symbols: a dove breaking from its cage, a rainbow, a light bulb. The piece questions why so much value is placed on a woman’s appearance, rather than her intelligence or imagination.

Laila explains to AZEEMA, “This image reflects something that is so personal. I didn’t like how men just look at how the female looks, without looking deeper. So, I was trying to attract both males and females to dig into the mind, rather than just [focus on] beauty.”

The power of street art in provoking conversation and acting as a conduit for social change greatly inspired Laila, who has been creating powerful graffitied work ever since. She reflects on her upbringing in the refugee camps when discussing her first piece of art, she says: “That was the first time I realised how public art can interact with the audience. It can reach the public directly, without any borders, at an intermediate level.”

Laila’s artwork focuses on deconstructing gender stereotypes and exploring the plight of Palestinian refugees. Through her graffiti, she takes women’s issues, which are usually only discussed in private, back into the public sphere where they cannot be ignored. Her vibrant, evocative murals catch the eye and inspire contemplation in a non-confrontational manner.

Laila hopes to inspire women to take back control of their own lives and make their own decisions. When asked what impact she wants her work to make in the community, she responds, optimistically: “The seed of a change. A positive one.”

Jordanian women still face a number of social and legal obstacles. Under the country’s law, women cannot pass citizenship rights onto their children. Therefore, if they marry men who are not citizens, their children could become stateless and be denied the most basic civil rights. According to the World Bank organisation, Jordan also has the lowest female labour force participation of any country not at war. The COVID-19 crisis has further intensified such inequalities, with gender-based violence increasing significantly.

The pandemic has had a severe impact on many Jordanians, especially those residing in refugee camps who lack basic resources. Laila maintains that elevating the role of women across society will be beneficial for all and crucial in promoting long-term economic growth, particularly for those in closed communities. She explains, “These conversations and initiatives only empower girls to be stronger, to be dependent on themselves and that will help many families because conservative societies mostly are poor. So, the financial status of them is improved when girls are getting more chances to develop themselves.”

Laila and one of her murals, shot by Scott Lashinsky

Women across the Middle East continue to face many societal challenges, across cultural and economic levels. However, several resistance movements have emerged from the region, which bring these discussions into the public domain. In Egypt, the case of Ahmed Bassan Zaki, who has been accused of serial rape, fuelled widespread uproar. Women shared their own #MeToo stories on social media.

Most recently, women in Kuwait have also been speaking out against sexual abuse and demanding accountability from perpetrators. The campaign was sparked by well-known Kuwaiti fashion blogger Ascia Al Faraj, who posted a video to her social media addressing the issue. The Instagram account ‘Lan Asket’, Arabic for ‘I will not be silenced’, was soon after launched, and invited women to anonymously share their own experiences of harassment and assault.

Laila’s warmth, optimism and steely sense of determination is infectious. She navigates these difficult issues with grace and remains unfazed by criticism. Above all, she hopes her success will inspire other Arab women to persevere, have faith in their abilities and to not impose any limits on themselves.

She concludes, “I never cared at all about other's opinions – no matter what. I have received many messages from girls telling me that they love to see a woman in a field dominated by men - without any problems. I’m doing what I love [so] people shouldn’t even question my gender.”