In March 2023, following a series of femicides in Lima, Peruvian photographer Ana Elisa Sotelo captured a powerful image of solidarity. The photograph, titled 'Women’s Circle', shows a group of naked women forming a circle in the sea at dawn on playa Agua Dulce, one of Lima’s most popular public beaches.
The image is part of Sotelo’s ongoing project 'Women of the Water', which began in 2022 in Patagonia, Chile. For this particular shoot, Sotelo issued an open call via Instagram, with details shared only a day before to ensure privacy. Participants swam out to sea, removed their swimsuits, and formed a circle, with volunteers on paddleboards collecting the suits. The kicking and screaming that occurred was natural, Sotelo recalls.
The performance was themed 'Alive and Fearless', with artist Ana De Orbegoso creating a vest bearing that phrase. After about 20 minutes of free swimming, the women returned to shore, smiling and excited. Sotelo notes that while the world feels harsher three years later, the urgency around gender-based violence has faded from public discourse.
Reflecting on the image, Sotelo wonders if women would still respond to such a call today, or if fear has grown louder than solidarity. The photograph stands as a testament to sisterhood and resistance against femicides in Peru.
