I recently spied a playful sign in a craft market that read, 'Who Runs The World... Girls Do!’
Haha, I thought. As a travel writer and life observer who has set foot on all seven continents I understand full well that girls do not, indeed, run the world. Men do. That's a fact!
Yet, maybe that sign is not all wrong. Whether in Africa or China or Europe I was aware that it is the females who are so resilient, quietly determined and strong. They understand the meaning of cooperation and that there is strength in numbers. They are life-giving and love-giving. Females are the food makers, their family's medicine women and the glue that keeps clans and tribes together. They hand down the skills and cultural traditions from mother to daughter. They wipe away tears. They work towards peace rather than war. They represent reason rather than force. Sigh… if only we were given the opportunity to really run the world.
Each year on International Women’s Day I pay tribute to the world of females by curating an Online Photography Gallery. Every image submitted is a mini story of a woman's life somewhere in this great big world.
Photo credit: Paula Roy @paulajroy
'I met this beautiful woman in India. Her modest home consisting of dirt floors and walls was spotless and she beamed with pride as she welcomed me inside. I watched her squat by the meagre fire to prepare chapati; it was magical to watch her hands slapping the dough preparing it for the hot skillet. ‘
Photo credit: Mihaela Popa Instagram: @worldtravel.bug
'I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand enjoying the Annual Flower Festival. This three-day celebration is held every year on the first weekend of February. I seemed to be in the right place at the right time. This beautiful young woman, part of the cultural event approached and asked me to take her photo.'
Photo credit: Matt Gibson Instagram: @xpattmatt
‘In Bhutan, young monks and children were playing in the grass surrounding the temple. One group of three children approached me to take photos of them making silly faces. This girl had no problem with me taking her photo, but she wasn't interested in making silly faces.’
Photo Credit: Asher Svidensky Instagram: @ashersvidensky
‘My portrait of a young Israeli soldier was taken at the finish of her "up-a-mountain-overnight" exercise. It is a tribute to the strength of women and one of my favorite portraits from my three years of service as a military photographer.'
Photo credit: Veronica James Instagram: @gypsynester
'Life in the Great Rift Valley of Tanzania is harsh; the very dry climate yields little water. The women, highly decorated with beads draped on their necks and hanging from elongated earlobes, are usually one of many wives. This family of eleven women share one husband.’
To view the rest of this beautiful International Women’s Day Photography Exhibit, please click here.
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