‘My dream is to open the first baby photography studio in Palestine’
Doaa Eshtayeh has found a way to turn her passion into her profession. With the support of UN Women, she has been able to develop the skills and buy the equipment she needs to start her own photography business and provide for her family.
“I have been a breadwinner for the last three years, raising two children, a four-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. My son, Islam, suffers from severe autism. As my husband cannot work, I decided to become a photographer to support my family.
At first, I didn’t know where to start, as it requires a lot of money to buy photography equipment. I specialise in photography babies and infants, which takes a lot of time and preparation. I love babies and I am very patient when taking photos of babies.
I heard about the Business Women Forum in 2018, which supports women who need assistance in growing their businesses. I was selected to be one of the trainees and they helped me improve my photography skills and taught me how to expand my business. The project also funded me to buy a brand-new photo printer so that I could print high definition photos at home.
My children are my biggest motivation to keep going and improve myself. But it’s difficult balancing my responsibility for my son’s special needs and my work.
Nevertheless, I advise every women to start her own business to be independent and to become a leader in her community.
My dream is to open the first baby photography studio in Palestine. Many pregnant women and mothers in Palestine dream of getting good photos of their babies and children. My studio will be the place for them.”
Doaa Eshtayeh (30) lives in Nablus, Palestine and works as a photographer specialising in infant and children’s photography. As a beneficiary of the Women Championships Project, Doaa has received six-months training and the photography equipment needed to develop her own business. Her story reflects how the role of women within families is changing and how, with access to skills, decent work and redistribution of work at home, women and families can thrive.
