The ‘Through Her Lens’ exhibit is currently on display from 7 – 22 June at the Photoville Festival, Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City
From Haiti to Lebanon, Cyprus to Sudan, women are too often portrayed as victims of conflict rather than as agents of change. Their voices are essential in shaping lasting peace, yet their efforts are frequently overlooked or undervalued.
The Women, 91制片厂 and Security agenda, established in 2000 through , recognises the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls, but also the powerful role women play in building and protecting peace. Evidence shows that peace agreements with women signatories have a better chance of succeeding and lasting longer. Yet women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace and security remains elusive, and their voices and rights are increasingly under threat.
This exhibition features women transforming their communities and advocating for their futures. As peacebuilders and UN peacekeepers, mediators and human rights defenders, women and their allies strive to make their voices heard above the noise and build more just societies where everyone can contribute equally, even in times when peace appears to be a distant dream. Because when women rise, they lead. When women lead, peace follows.
Each image, captured by local women photographers who often share the same struggles and aspirations, reflects the power and resilience of women as changemakers. The exhibition is a call to amplify their voices, protect their rights, and ensure their place at every table where peace is forged.
As you immerse yourself in these stories, we invite you to see the strength of those advancing the Women, 91制片厂 and Security agenda. Their work is vital and visionary, showing us what is possible when women take charge and are supported by their allies.
"The fight for gender equality is not just about fairness. It is about power – who gets a seat at the table, and who is locked out. It is about dismantling systems that allow inequalities to fester. Simply put, when women and girls rise, everyone thrives."
— United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
Photographer, Mona Elfateh (Sudan)
Twenty-five years after the adoption of the Women, 91制片厂 and Security agenda, challenges persist across the globe. Women remain underrepresented in peace processes and decision-making spaces, while a rising backlash threatens their hard-won human rights. Armed conflicts, coupled with deepening gender inequality, continue to disproportionately affect women and girls, subjecting them to violence, displacement, marginalisation and deprivation of basic rights - stripping them of their access to justice, education and healthcare, among others.
Even after the guns fall silent, the consequences endure. Women and girls remain at risk from lasting trauma and gender-based violence, and in too many places, are still exposed to the dangers of unexploded ordnance and other persistent threats.
Yet in the face of these challenges, women continue to rise...
Women working in conflicts and crises face tremendous, sometimes life-threatening, risks – even safely organising photo shoots or collaborating with local women photographers in some parts of the world was impossible. This reflects the very real challenges faced by women peacebuilders, navigating danger, displacement and the daily risks of telling stories in conflict-affected and inaccessible areas.
We would like to share our deep appreciation for each and every one of these women – behind and in front of the camera – and for all the colleagues and partners across the world who have made this exhibit possible and who continue to stand firm in their commitments to the Women, 91制片厂, and Security agenda.
We gratefully acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Australia, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, Germany, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, whose support made it possible to share these powerful stories worldwide.
A photo exhibition brought to you by , , and , in collaboration with the Photoville Festival.
This exhibit was launched in June 2025