Submissions wanted: Our 2023 collection of images, This is Gender (In)Equality, is open Next item New elements in the 2023...

Submissions wanted: Our 2023 collection of images, This is Gender (In)Equality, is open

We are pleased to announce that Global Health 50/50’s celebrated collection of gender-representative images is open for submissions from today, International Women’s Day (8 March) to 23 April.

Gender inequality marks one of the most pervasive and persistent patterns in the distribution of power. We see evidence of this, nearly invisible and overt, everywhere. Billions of women still lack the same legal rights and equal economic opportunities as men. The COVID-19 pandemic has widened inequalities, including by decreasing male life expectancy and negatively impacted women’s career progression and financial security. Wars, famines and natural disasters have had more severe impacts on the well-being of women. And Global Health 50/50’s research shows that male leadership pervades in organisations active in global health.

This paints a bleak picture of gender equality in 2023. Can we reframe and reimagine gender equalities and inequalities through visual media – and envision what it means to be human and to be equal? Moments of true equality exist – how can we capture them and enable these moments to flourish?

The This is Gender (In)Equality Open Call aims to collate diverse representations of gendered power, relationships, and experiences, from the intimate private space of the household to the highest levels of political decision-making.

Building on the foundation of two successful photography competitions This is Gender 2020 and This is Gender 2021, our third edition aims to be the most inclusive yet. In 2023, This is Gender (In)Equality is accepting all forms of still visual media including for example mixed media photography, illustration, drawing, painting, collages or new media.

The This is Gender (In)Equality open call is an opportunity to showcase varied perspectives and experiences of gender equality/inequality. We invite submissions from the artistic community and from health workers, activists, journalists, researchers and feminists from around the world. Gender equality matters. For every person. For every place.

Themes and Launch

This year’s call for submissions is oriented around four themes;

  1. Gender (In)Equality and health;
  2. Gender (In)Equality at work;
  3. Gender (In)Equality & planetary health; and
  4. Gender (In)Equality & sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

A panel of international experts in photography, visual culture, gender and global health will select a collection of entries that will feature in our online exhibition as well as in Global Health 50/50’s annual Global Report and Gender & Health Index. For each of the themes, one image will be recognised with a financial award of £500 pounds.

The 2021 contest was launched via a high-impact photo essay in The Guardian. In 2023 we plan to partner with a similar global media outlet and engage with a range of impactful publications to raise the profile of the images and artists as well as disseminate the messages of the This is Gender (In)Equality initiative. Furthermore, The This is Gender (In)Equality 2023 Collection will be exhibited through an online platform. Commentaries, interviews and insights into the collection will be regularly added to the exhibition website.

Entrants can submit images through the collection platform, where you can also find more information about the Open Call. Read the terms and conditions of the open call. The open call is available in the following languages for sharing: Farsi, Nepalese, and Portuguese.

Authors of photographs featured in the photo mosaic: Alvaro Lopez Gimenez, Anna Maria Arevalo, Arpan Basu Chowdhury, Ayomitunde Adeleke, Chadia Wannous, Chiara Luxardo, Debdatta Chakraborty, Diptadeep Addy, Elena Pavlova, Francesca Volpi, Jonas Van Der Haegen, Jibon Kumer Malaker, Katia Repina, Karen Toro, Kelly Befor, Le Grande Fetish Ball, Mansharof Amit, Maria Camila Cifuentes, Mason Rose, Mohrezago, Nirali Naik, Oliver Strutt, Reza Mozafari Manesh, Robin Yong, Silvia Alessi, Sofia Melikova, Soumya Shankar Ghosal, Sultan Ahmed Niloy, Su Cassiano, Suvajit Mukherjee, Zvonimir Tanocki, Zonah.