‘She seemed so strong, so forceful, to be going through the streets dressed like this. The hyper-feminised character she projected was like a riposte to the male violence’

I loved growing up in Belfast because it was wild. You’re not supposed to say that, but even though I was working class and we were in the thick of it, I didn’t experience any violence directly. I experienced the warmth of working-class communities on both sides, Catholic and Protestant, and the power of community in the fight for things like justice, fairness and equality. I learned about those principles mostly through women.

Belfast was a very patriarchal place, but women always seemed to be the ones making the most sense. If you look at UN statistics for when women are at negotiating tables, the chances of reaching peace agreements are much higher. Then, if they stay at the table, the peace agreement lasts longer. In different parts of the world that I’ve been commissioned to shoot, like Sudan or Beirut, I’ve met many different women but they all have the same ability to cut through the shit, yet they’re not given any power.