2024 — Romania, Moldova
About this series
This project by Ioana Pascaru, Miguel Hahn, and Jan-Christoph Hartung examines a social issue in Romania and Moldova, where violence against women is reflected in a high rate of incarcerated women convicted of killing their abusive partners. Many of these women come from rural, low-income backgrounds with limited education and endure long-term domestic abuse. In Moldova’s ‘Rusca’ prison, for instance, 129 out of 362 women were previously victims of domestic violence, with few support systems available. They often face blame from their own families and cannot leave due to financial dependency.
Factors perpetuating this cycle include weak legislation, mistrust in the police, and the challenges of transitioning from socialism to a market economy, especially in rural areas, which has fostered poverty, alcoholism, and violence. Through independent research, we met women like Elisabeta C., who, after years of abuse, killed her husband in self-defense and is now rebuilding her life post-incarceration. Elena G., Victoria P., and others also share similar stories, seeking to prevent violence against women, highlighting a systemic issue in Romania and Moldova that affects many.
Photographer: Miguel Hahn and Jan-Christoph Hartung
Nationality: Germans
Based in: Berlin – Germany
Website: www.hahn-hartung.com
Instagram: @hahn_hartung
Miguel Hahn (b. 1982, Heidelberg) and Jan-Christoph Hartung (b. 1983, Erbach) work as a photography team in Berlin. They studied at the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt and HAW Hamburg, with exhibitions at C/O Berlin, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, and Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie Arles. In 2015, they received the Lead Award (Gold) for Reportage Photography for “Vietnam War – 40 Years Later” in ZEITmagazin. In 2017, they were awarded a VG Bildkunst grant for “2 Minutes to Midnight,” later winning the Lotto BerlinBrandenburg Art Prize in 2020. Their work, featured in magazines like GEO, Stern, and Spiegel often covers societal developments.