Great excitement at HH headquarters when we learned that Emily Lewell-Buck MP has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament in support of the #HundredHeroines campaign.
“The Royal Photographic Society Hundred Heroines campaign today received parliamentary backing. An Early Day Motion (EDM) has been tabled supporting the Society’s project to improve the status of female photographers.
The EDM was tabled by Emma Lewell-Buck, the MP for South Shields. She is the first female MP to represent the constituency, and paid tribute to the RPS for launching its #HundredHeroines campaign, which is timed to coincide with the centenary of women’s suffrage.
Emma Lewell-Buck said today: “I applaud this initiative which seeks to raise the profile of female contemporary photographers in a realm where women are underrepresented and the contribution of women is often under acknowledged.”
Since the start of the campaign more than 800 women photographers have been nominated from around the world. Photographers, curators and photographic organisations have all taken part and the #HH hashtag has gone viral.
Emma herself has nominated photographer Karen Robinson, who has worked on both domestic and international projects: “I am drawn to her images because of the political human rights angle to so many of them” and she particularly praised Karen’s series on poverty.
“The scandal of modern day UK poverty is written and spoken about but rarely photographed. Karen’s photographs should be essential viewing for policy makers, illustrating more powerfully than words ever could the anguish of inequality and the tenderness and love demonstrated in the most difficult of circumstances.”
Emma is seeking cross-party parliamentary support for the EDM to increase awareness of the RPS campaign. With less than a month before nominations close on September 28th, the EDM also calls for the public to nominate their own modern day photography heroines.”
