CELEBRATE WOMEN is an international photography initiative asks women, “what empowers you?” It is a space for women from all over the world to explore and showcase their identities, and includes many stories of joy, acceptance, resilience, and love.

Since its first iteration, launched on International Women’s Day 2016, hundreds of women have shared their stories, and the project has been viewed thousands of times. Participants range from all over the world, from the urban jungle of New York City, USA to the literal jungle of Mae Wang, Thailand. CELEBRATE WOMEN was presented at the United Nations 60th Commission on the Status of Women, and exhibited at Ladyfest Shanghai, the Yenching Global Symposium, and CRITICA Arts Festival.

CELEBRATE WOMEN is an exploration of complexity of identity and unity in diversity. Participants are photographed with signifiers of their choice, select their final image, and write their own captions.

There are infinite ways to be an empowered woman. What empowers you?

Women have participated in CELEBRATE WOMEN from the following locations:

• Accra, Ghana

• Beijing, China

• Busia, Kenya

• Cebu City, The Philippines

• Chennai, India

• Chicago, USA

• Chongqing, China

• Dallas, USA

• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Hong Kong, China

• Geneva, Switzerland

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• London, England

• Mae Wang, Thailand

• Manila, The Philippines

• Melbourne, Australia

• Milan, Italy

• NYC, USA

• Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• San Paolo, Brazil

• Shanghai, China

• Singapore

• Taipei, Taiwan

• Toronto, Canada

• Treviso, Italy

• Zibo, China

CELEBRATE WOMEN is in celebration of International Women’s Day and recognition of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number five (achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls). The main issues CELEBRATE WOMEN addresses are lack of female representation in the art world, lack of varied female representation in the media, and the objectification and oversimplification of women.

CELEBRATE WOMEN deviates from traditional portraiture, in which the photographer’s own biases and gaze heavily influences the end result. Photoshoots are scheduled in advance, participants select their final image, and write their own captioms.

It is an opportunity for photographers use their technical skillsets to help women have a space to express something meaningful about themselves. Photographers have collaborated from all over the world. As a result, CELEBRATE WOMEN is a multidimensional, transnational dialogue on the universality of diversity and the complexity of identity.

CELEBRATE WOMEN is welcome to any person who is comfortable participating in a series called CELEBRATE WOMEN.

Contributors

• nicoco

• David Santiano

• Brian Ho

• Millie Wong

• Vrinda Rayam

• David Hoffmann

• Dylan Wang

• Rafaela Frankenthal

• Chen Chen

• Margherita Dametti

• Amy Ernst

• Cindy Hu

• Marisol Gallardo

• Daisy Qianyi Chen

• Meizhi Ng

• Đặng Thảo Nguyên

• Daughters Rising

• Noel Konagai

• Alejandra Arevalo

• Amanda Huang

• Katie Pellegrino

• Keyin Wu
  

• Linhui Wu

• Xiaohan Zeng

• Thana Gu

• Shengli Wen

• Anya Marchenko

• Henry Lee

• Natalie Soisudarat

• Vincent Jayvee Caberte

• Maggie Walsh

• Archie Kwong

• Calvin Ro

• Bridgette

• Amy Do

• Benjamin von Wong

• Maya Wang

• Emma Quong

• Zhan Zhang

• Maximilian Glas

• Laura Monsreal

• Nabeela Zaman