The Successful Women of Bahrain

Says Hazel Thompson on her six-month project photographing women in Bahrain:

I went in with a preconception of the veil that got in the way. (And – by the way – to integrate, I did wear a hijab, especially if I was walking around, especially if I was in a mosque.) What I didn’t realize was how ambitious the women are. They run their families and are extremely successful. They’re doing really well. One of the women I followed started the first fashion house in Bahrain. They are having a choice in career. They’re so determined – anything they can get their hands on to become more educated, to up their skills. That’s one thing I didn’t expect.