The Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupted family life in Ukraine. The indiscriminate violence perpetrated by Russia killed thousands of civilians, leaving families broken and bereft. Schools were destroyed and schooling was interrupted for children in the conflict zones.
Families' incomes and access to services have been decimated. Women confront increased sexual and gender-based violence and perilous health conditions, while being forced to make life and death survival decisions for their families.
Ukraine's children are paying an extraordinary price. Nearly two thirds of children have been forced to flee their homes. Some have fled alone, increasing their exposure to abduction, abuse and exploitation. Children are being robbed of their childhood, of time with friends and family, of education and of a peaceful life.
Many Ukrainian soldiers suffer from PTSD, and the likely lack of enough social and psychological support services, will have consequences for families.
Following the iconic book, Ukraine: A War Crime, by 93 photojournalists, this year the FotoEvidence Book Award will again be a collaborative work open to all photographers documenting the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, from 2014-2024 with a particular focus on the impact on children and families.
The second collaborative book will again unite photojournalists to present their first hand testimony about the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of those tasked with documenting it.
About FotoEvidence
Established in 2020 in Montpellier, France the FotoEvidence Association works at the intersection of human rights and photography through the FotoEvidence Book Award and the FotoEvidence W Award for a woman photographer. The organization aims to expand and support the work of FotoEvidence, a publishing house established in 2010, dedicated to documentary photography focused on human rights and social and ecological justice. Originally based in Brooklyn, New York, FotoEvidence now operates from the village of Marseillan in Herault, France.
Our mission is to draw attention to injustice, oppression and assaults on human dignity through the lens of photographers working in the humanistic tradition. FotoEvidence books focus on the most pressing social and environmental justice issues of our time—from genocide to global warming. They are published to inspire social change, to expose injustice, to create enduring evidence and call for accountability. Since 2012, the FotoEvidence Book Award has recognized a documentary photographer whose work demonstrates courage and commitment in addressing a violation of human rights, a significant injustice or an assault on human dignity.
In 2022, the invasion of Ukraine called for a new approach. Instead of providing an opportunity for just one photographer, FotoEvidence worked to draw the photojournalism community together in a collective action to document Russia’s invasion, the destruction of war, Russia’s indiscriminate, criminal violence and the power of Ukrainian identity and resistance.
Previous winners and editions
