What The World Cup Means To Women Of Dual Nationality

The 2018 World Cup has started and, whether or not you're a football fan, it's impossible not to get caught up in this global celebration that brings people and nations together – even if it's just for a moment.

Britain is more diverse than ever. In 2018, we're a melting pot of traditions and cultures from all over the globe. But what is it like during the World Cup if you come from more than just one country? As it is, British-born descendants of ethnic minority immigrants represent over a third of the country's ethnic population, meaning there are plenty of people out there who find themselves in this position.

Creative director and visual storyteller Dami Khadijah was born and raised in London. Her parents were born in Nigeria and her dual heritage means she "consolidates and entwines the two countries to create the perfect synergy in the ideas behind her work and style."

She does, however, struggle to find stories of second and third generationers in the media. This group, she explains, get identified by their ethnic background in the UK (even though some may have no real connection to it) while in their parents' homeland they can be seen as outsiders. Every day, she says, young ethnic minority women in the UK navigate their dual cultural identity and try to balance their cultural heritage.

It is this sentiment that inspired her latest project: Born in the West, Raised by the East. Focussing on the five African countries taking part in the World Cup, she photographed women who hail from Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco or Egypt plus another country.

"This is a moment I wanted to intentionally exploit," she says of using the World Cup as a catalyst (all the women were shot wearing a mix of national football kit and traditional dress). She wants to challenge narratives about women and football, something especially pertinent considering FIFA's female secretary general, Fatma Samoura is Senegalese. Other themes include disrupting beliefs about differences between the north and the south of Africa.

"In the end," she says, "I created a visual story that celebrates these women showing how cultural heritage is intertwined with being British and how they both live as one identity."

Click through to see Dami's pictures.