'Breaking stereotypes': 11 photos showing the UAE's female falconers

For the past two years, photographer Vidhyaa Chandramohan has paid witness as falconry has shifted from being a purely male-dominated sport

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  Ayesha Al Mansoori is head trainer at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Club. In 2017, she began offering free falconry classes for women and within a year, more than 50 women had signed up. Al Mansoori says that Emiratis do not need modern gadgets like binoculars to trace their birds during hunting session: 'Our DNA is all about the desert and falcons.' Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  The UAE's female falconers regularly come together in the evenings to meet and train their birds, developing friendships and sharing knowledge in the process. From left to right, Mariam Al Hammadi, Emam Al Hammadi, Khawla Al Hammadi, Osha Khaleefa Al Mansoori and Ayesha Al Mansoori. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  Ayesha Al Mansoori, left, began learning falconry from her father at the age of 4. Now she is passing that knowledge on to her daughter. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  A female falconer hoods her bird after a hunt. This keeps the falcon calm and focused. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  In the winter, Ayesha Al Mansoori spends most of her time with her falcons. 'Female participation in falconry used to be about supporting the men – preparing them for the desert and for hunting, while the women took care of the family. Also, the roughness of the terrain in the desert made it impossible for women to go on hunting trips with falcons in ancient times. Now things have changed.' Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  Afrah Al Mansoori, Ayesha's aunt, prepares food after a training session in the Abu Dhabi desert, as a falcon rests on its perch. While the food is being prepared in a way that is typical of the traditional Bedouin lifestyle, a parked 4x4 adds a hint of modernity to the scene, highlighting how falconry bridges the past, present and future for many Emirati families and communities. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  Afrah with her falcon during a rabbit hunt. Falconry is a multi-million-dirham industry. Like camel racing, women have traditionally been almost completely absent from this heritage sport, but things are changing in the UAE. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  Osha Al Mansoori trains her falcon Yas, learning tips and tricks from her mother Ayesha. Osha says that she loves spending time with her falcons and that Yas is like her little brother. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  Ayesha and Osha Al Mansoori walk with their falcons in the Abu Dhabi desert at twilight. Their shared love of falconry creates a strong bond between the mother and child. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  Ayesha Al Mansoori drives with her falcon during a training session. Falconry is not a easy sport, and requires passion, patience and physical toughness, she says. In the past, this has hindered women from joining the Abu Dhabi Falcon Club, but in the last three years, interest in the sport has blossomed. Al Mansoori hopes to train many more women and girls in the years to come. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

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  Ayesha Al Mansoori attaches a GPS transmitter to the tail feathers of her falcon before releasing it for training. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

For thousands of years, falconry has been a male-dominated sport, but this is slowly changing. In 2017, Ayesha Al Mansoori began offering free training classes for women at the Abu Dhabi Falconers' Club. Within a year, more than 50 women had signed up. "It's important to promote it as a sport and emphasise the role of women," Al Mansoori says.

Photographer Vidhyaa Chandramohan has spent the past two years documenting these female falconers, following them into the desert around Abu Dhabi and capturing the candid moments that unfolded as they honed their skills.

The UAE's female falconers regularly come together in the evenings to meet and train their birds. Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

"Female falcons are used for hunting because they are larger and more powerful than the males, and yet, historically, most falconers were men," Chandramohan says. "Ayesha is breaking stereotypes and training expatriate and Emirati women in the art of falconry.

“Throughout history, falconry was transferred from generation to generation, from fathers to sons, but now this is slowly changing in the UAE. The transfer of skills has altered from mother to daughter.”

People have been practising falconry in the UAE for 4,000 years, primarily for hunting. Four years ago it was included in Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is a pastime that continues to unite families and communities – a thread that connects the country's past, present and future.

"My goal is to use my camera to capture an unexplored UAE, a world of new relationships, new chances, new beginnings and, most importantly, new stories," Chandramohan says.