EMPOWERING WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KIGALI, MARCH 2018
‘Photography is a form of visual art, and art cannot be said to have fulfilled its purpose unless it engages with its target audience.’
Some professional women photographers, documenting and showing their realities through their art, will convene a celebration of the International Day of Women in Art in Africa but most specifically in Rwanda on Friday 2nd March 2018.
In Africa, many lingering colonial-created stereotypes continue to frame Africa as a historical and exotic, which is especially detrimental to African woman. Today, numerous female African artists are working hard to challenge these fictional, oppressive perceptions of their various African countries and their bodies. Therefore, through this event we intend to provide visibility to women who have made an impact in art through their lenses and to encourage young and upcoming female photographers, models to look beyond the gender stereotypes and embrace art as a passion but also as a career.
The event brought together photographers, models, or even enthusiasts of Photography to break barriers or taboos about photography or modeling in Africa, to share experiences and to interact with other photographers, practicing professionals, and mentors by offering a platform learn from each other. This event also offered the opportunity to few professional photographers to display their work and showcase the impact of their work within their community.
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. – There is a strong call to #PressforProgress motivating and uniting friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive -. The theme ‘Art through the lens, a women perspective’ sets the tone for an agenda that includes mentorships talks, role modeling and sharing of experiences (highs and lows) by successful women photographers working in a male dominated- field.
The initiative brought focus attention to the issue of gender inequality and contributed in ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls in art and all these efforts will contribute to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
And we believe that this event has opened numerous doors in the worlds of art and commercial photography to the participants as well as offering professional photographers a platform to increase the audience that knows and appreciates their creative vision.
This was an opportunity to enrich our knowledge and experience as photographer, model, or even enthusiasts of Photography.
