Women In Photography
A Global Platform for Visibility, Equity, and Contemporary Photographic Practice
Women in Photography (WiP) is a flagship, long-term initiative by the ZiiP Foundation that seeks to transform how women photographers from India are seen, supported, and represented on the global stage.
Conceived as an international-facing cultural program, WiP creates sustained pathways for women photographers through curated exhibitions, institutional partnerships, publications, mentorship, and public discourse. The initiative responds to longstanding gaps in visibility, access, and opportunity within photography—addressing them not through isolated events, but through a structured, recurring global framework.
ABOUT WiP
Empowering Women Behind the Lens
Photography has historically shaped how societies remember themselves. Yet, women—particularly from the Global South—remain underrepresented within institutional archives, major exhibitions, festivals, and professional networks.
WiP was established to address this imbalance meaningfully and at scale. Rather than offering short-term exposure, the initiative builds a multi-year, international ecosystem that enables women photographers to develop their practice, engage with global audiences, and secure long-term professional recognition.
At its core, WiP is both a cultural intervention and a knowledge-building platform—strengthening photographic practice while expanding the narratives through which India is viewed and understood globally.
EDITION 1
WiP, India
The inaugural edition of the Women in Photography initiative was realised through a curated book publication and an international exhibition showcasing select works by Indian women photographers. This first edition marked a significant milestone, establishing WiP as a global platform dedicated to visibility, documentation, and professional recognition.
WHAT WiP DOES
Shaping a Diverse Photographic Future
Each WiP edition is anchored by a professionally curated international exhibition, presented in collaboration with established global institutions. These exhibitions position participating photographers within serious cultural and curatorial contexts, enabling dialogue with international audiences, professionals, and institutions.
The curatorial framework foregrounds diversity of practice—documentary, fine art, conceptual, and socio-cultural—while situating Indian women’s perspectives within broader global conversations.
Each edition of Women in Photography concludes with a carefully produced commemorative publication developed to international standards. The publication documents the selected photographers and their work, extending the life of the exhibition beyond its physical presentation.
Serving as archival records and professional tools, these publications support career advancement while being distributed to institutions, libraries, and cultural networks. Over time, they collectively form a significant visual archive of Indian women’s photographic practice.
Each edition of Women in Photography integrates structured learning through workshops, mentorship sessions, and professional development engagements led by experienced practitioners, curators, editors, and historians from across the photography ecosystem.
These programs support artistic growth and critical thinking, strengthen technical and storytelling skills, refine portfolios, shape career strategies, and help participants navigate international photography platforms and professional networks.
Public talks, panel discussions, and artist conversations form an essential part of the Women in Photography initiative, creating spaces for reflection, exchange, and critical engagement around contemporary photographic practice.
These programs foster dialogue on gender, representation, ethics, and image-making, extending the impact of WiP beyond participating artists to students, professionals, and wider public audiences.
WiP MATTERS
A Corrective and a Catalyst
By consistently placing Indian women photographers within international cultural circuits, the initiative:
- Expands professional opportunity and recognition
- Challenges historic gender imbalances in photography
- Strengthens India’s presence in global visual culture
- Contributes to more inclusive and representative archives
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
A Long-Term Global Cycle
WiP operates on a repeating three-year cultural cycle:
- Two consecutive International Editions, each hosted in collaboration with global institutions
- A culminating WiP Pavilion at the ZiiP Foundation’s flagship Photography Triennale in India
This structure allows for sustained international exposure while creating a landmark national platform every three years where selected photographers are presented collectively within a major cultural event.
The cycle then renews ensuring continuity, scale, and long-term impact.
Women in Photography is not a one-time exhibition series. It is a long-term cultural commitment—designed to build visibility, knowledge, and opportunity across generations.
Through WiP, ZiiP Foundation is shaping a future where women photographers are not peripheral participants, but central contributors to global photographic discourse.
Join ZiiPf in changing the narrative
The ZiiP Foundation is seeking support from like-minded patrons who believe the in what we are working towards through the Women In Photography initiative