Among creative industry leaders, the gender balance remains skewed towards males. Photography is one such profession where this imbalance persists at all levels.

In 2017, the Guardian newspaper highlighted camera manufacturer Nikon’s latest brand campaign, in which 32 professional photographers chosen to promote its latest product were all male. Scroll down or flick through most publications, and the photography contribution list is almost certainly mostly men.

At Getty Images, the world’s largest visual communications company, attempts are being made to rectify this imbalance with the launch of the Getty Images Women Photograph Grant. Aimed at promoting gender diversity in photojournalism, from April 1 the partnership between Getty Images and Women Photograph, an online catalogue of female and non-binary journalists with photography services for hire, will elevate the voices and talents of those often unheard.

“At Getty Images we are a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in all its forms – this is just as important within a photographic frame, as well as behind the camera,” says Sandy Ciric, director of photography at Getty Images. “We’re proud to partner with Women Photograph and further expand our existing program with this important new grant aimed specifically at nurturing talent and elevating the work of all photojournalists.”

With a value of $10,000, the Getty Images Women Photograph Grant will support women or non-binary photographers in the development of an ongoing documentary project. Applicants must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to their story and use the grant as means to convey a personal or journalist story with impact.

Daniella Zalcman, photographer and founder of Women Photograph says, “Our partnership with Getty Images brings us one step closer to achieving our mission of shifting the gender makeup of the photojournalism community and ensuring our industry's chief storytellers are as diverse as the communities they hope to represent.”

For Getty Images, the discrepancy in gendered contributions to photojournalism does a disservice to the countless contributions made by female photographers from all regions of the world. Furthering its commitment to diversity in photojournalism through a partnership with Women Photograph demonstrates a stepchange in the role of women in visual media. This particular initiative forms part of Getty Images’ grants programme, which since 2004 has provided over $1.3m to photographers, photojournalists and film-makers to support otherwise untold important world stories.

The Getty Images Women Photograph Grant judging panel includes:

• Mallory Benedict, managing director, Women Photograph and photo editor, National Geographic
• Sandy Ciric, director of photography, Getty Images
• Shaminder Dulai, managing editor, NBC Left Field
• Sandra Stevenson, picture editor, the New York Times
• Ariel Zambelich, senior photo editor, the Intercept

The Getty Images Women Photograph grant is open for applications until 15 May 2018. To apply, visit the website.

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