The waiting is over.
Thousands of nominations, 1,300 nominees, and ten weeks of deliberation, the jury has reached its decision and, on the centenary anniversary of women’s suffrage in the UK, is delighted to announce the names of its Hundred Heroines. It has been a hugely challenging exercise given the breadth and depth of talent, and variety of practice, amongst the nominees.
The Jury believes that its choice of the final hundred showcases the best of global contemporary female photographic practice, and reflects the amazing diversity of methodologies and approaches of different generations of women working within the medium.
Speaking about the selection process, jury chair Rut Blees Luxemburg said: “The process of looking at the work of over 1000’s of photographers was incredibly stimulating and inspiring for the jury. It opened up so many new avenues of understanding in contemporary photography practices. The selection of a Hundred Heroines reflects a much larger community of female photographers, those chosen to salute and embody this community are emblematic for their inspiration, advocacy and pioneering spirit.”
With this celebration of the UK centenary of women’s right to vote, the RPS is also acknowledging the need for change within the world of photography. This year has seen a number of initiatives highlighting and attempting to address gender inequality in photography. The RPS Hundred Heroines campaign is proud to be part of the movement that is accelerating the recognition of ground-breaking photographers working globally.
The announcement of our Hundred Heroines should not be seen as the end of the campaign. Instead, it is just the beginning – the first step on a journey to highlight the outstanding work being done by women in photography. The campaign will continue with different initiatives and events, and will also continue to feature stories of photographic heroines around the world.
The list can be downloaded as a pdf from here.
