Top women in photography: 25 new additions to global Hundred Heroines list

Hundred Heroines The Guerilla Girls protest poster
(Image credit: The Guerilla Girls)

Hundred Heroines is a charitable organization promoting and celebrating the diversity of women in photography today, an additional 25 inspiring photographers  are to join its ever-growing list honoring the significant contributions that women are making globally to the practice of photography.

The only UK charity dedicated to advancing public awareness of women in photography, Hundred Heroines was initially set up by the Royal Photographic Society to mark the centenary of women achieving the right to vote in the UK. A list was then comprised in 2018 of the top 100 most influential female photographers, that list has since doubled to include 200 names. 

·Read more: Top 100 women in photography: RPS names its Hundred Heroines

The Hundred Heroines project was set up as an independent organization with charitable status in 2020.

Evelyn by Paz Errazuriz (Image credit: © Paz Errázuriz)

Newly announced additions to the list are comprised of photographers from around the globe including women from Australia, India, South Africa and Chile. A collective anonymous entry has been added in place of The Guerrilla Girls, a groundbreaking feminist collective expertly challenging discrimination within the art world.

The 25 new additions to the list of Hundred Heroines' influential women are: 

Anne Zahalka, Awoiska van der Molen, Emily Jacir, Felicia Abban, Hinda Schuman, Hoda Afshar, Indu Antony, Jo Ractliffe, Judith Joy Ross, Lebohang Kganye, Letizia Battaglia, Margaret Mitchell, Marilyn Minter, Marilyn Stafford , Meryl Meisler, Milagros de La Torre, Ming Smith, Nil Yalter, Nydia Blas, Paz Errázuriz, Pipilotti Rist, Sama Alshaibi, Sue Williamson, Tahmineh Monzavi and The Guerrilla Girls.

The additions and the full list can be found in its entirety at hundred heroines.org.

La mia mappa, 2013 by Emily Jacir (Image credit: ©Emily Jacir)

The rigorous selection process sees that shortlisted candidates are considered by a Criteria of Merit panel, chaired by Sunil Gupta and Zelda Cheatle. Contributions are fundamentally important and Hundred Heroines is a gateway, not a gatekeeper; each heroine is defining and dismantling the limits of photography in their own right. 

Del Barrett, Founder of Hundred Heroines, shares: “We’re thrilled to be adding these incredible artists to the list and can’t wait to share their work with our audiences, but the breadth of awe-inspiring work created by women in photography is boundless. Even with 200 contemporary heroines, our journey is only beginning.” 

All Our Mothers: Caroline Motsoale, by Sue Williamson (Image credit: © Sue Williamson)

Despite the efforts of organisations raising awareness and recognizing talent, women continue to be under-represented in visual arts programming – an oversight that Hundred Heroines is determined to rectify. 

The overall list of 200 will continue to grow and is an extremely important part of Hundred Heroines’ ambitious plans for the future, which include eventually opening its first physical space in Gloucester, UK.

· Read more:

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Beth Nicholls
Staff Writer

A staff writer for Digital Camera World, Beth has an extensive background in various elements of technology with five years of experience working as a tester and sales assistant for CeX. After completing a degree in Music Journalism, followed by obtaining a Master's degree in Photography awarded by the University of Brighton, she spends her time outside of DCW as a freelance photographer specialising in live music events and band press shots under the alias 'bethshootsbands'.