Shining a light on gender and disability, the world’s largest photography and visual arts competition focused on gender is back

A mother and daughter .

Shining a light on the intersection of gender and disability, the world’s largest photography and visual arts competition focused on gender has returned for its fifth year.

Global Health 50/50 is an independent, evidence-driven authority and research initiative dedicated to advancing gender equality and strengthening accountability worldwide – and it has announced the launch of This Is Gender 2025.

This year's edition is themed Gender and Disability, and aims to amplify voices, disrupt stereotypes and reimagine representation through powerful visual storytelling. The submission deadline is March 18 2025, and the winners will be announced in July 2025.

With support from leading organizations Crea and the National accessArts Centre, This is Gender 2025 calls on artists, creatives, and storytellers from across the globe to submit bold, authentic visual stories. The competition welcomes entries from all communities, particularly those often underrepresented in global narratives, including disabled individuals, women, nonbinary people, transgender and gender-diverse individuals and people from the Global South.

This year, the competition aims to be its largest yet – reaching more communities, representing even more diverse voices globally, and spotlighting untold stories from underrepresented regions and identities around the world.

Lee-Ann Olwage is a visual storyteller and photographic artist from South Africa. Her work is about identity, collaboration, and celebration. She is interested in using the medium of photography as a mode of co-creation and celebration (Image credit: Lee Ann Olwage)

Global Health 50/50 said, "What does it mean to navigate the world at the intersection of gender and disability? Disability is a profoundly gendered experience. From barriers to education and healthcare to the way public spaces are designed and accessed, the lived realities of disability are shaped by deeply entrenched gender norms and systemic biases. Yet, this vital intersection remains critically underexplored in art, media, and global conversations."

Imogen Bakelmun, curator of This is Gender, expanded. "Gender and Disability is more than a competition – it’s a platform for voices and stories that deserve global attention. By centering on gender and disability, we are challenging the world to confront its assumptions, dismantle ableist narratives, and envision futures where equity, accessibility, and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do."

Submissions are open to individuals of all skill levels, using any visual medium – photography, digital art, painting, collage or multimedia. We especially encourage submissions from disabled artists and creators from underrepresented regions, gender identities and cultural contexts.

Luanne Otero is a photographer who focuses mainly on self-portraiture. Her photography delves into gender politics and women's concerns, as she seeks to push the limits by exploring and depicting intangible subjects."The persistence of the belief that women are more prone to hysteria has led to harmful stereotypes portraying them as hypochondriacs who exaggerate their illnesses. Such stereotypes perpetuate gender bias within the healthcare system, significantly impacting the quality of care women receive, particularly when it comes to addressing their pain. The faceless and almost formless woman in the artwork reflects how the medical profession has viewed the female body and biology." (Image credit: Luanne Otero)

Artists may submit up to three works accompanied by a brief narrative, aligning with one of the following categories:

Systems: Gender and disability within healthcare, education, employment, and power structures

Environment & Space: Access and barriers in public/private spaces and visions of inclusion

Social Relations: Community, care, and the role of gender in relationships involving disability

Bodymind & Embodiment: Lived experiences of physical and sensory realities shaped by gender

World-Building: Dreaming of accessible futures free from ableism and gender inequality

In addition to a £500 (approximately $650 / AU$1,000) prize, winners will join a renowned collection of visual stories that are challenging perceptions and reshaping cultural narratives, and feature in the internationally acclaimed Global Health 50/50 Report, a publication reaching policymakers, activists, and advocates around the world

For more information and to enter, visit This Is Gender 2025.

"The room is filled with individuals wearing suits, their eyes fixated solely on profit. The western male business attire, eyes looking all ways, a central, single female, all framed by roses, all bring different points of view. The intense focus on financial gain fuels the machinery of Western capitalism and a patriarchal society, leading to the exploitation of people, animals, and the environment. This perpetual search for wealth predominantly benefits only a privileged few. This mixed-media illustration serves as a powerful reminder for us to recognise the pervasive inequalities present in our immediate surroundings. It urges us to cultivate self-awareness and to recognise the alienation that results from unequal social and economic structures." (Image credit: Silvia Viana)

Interested? Take a look at our guides to the best cameras for beginners, the best professional cameras, and the best cameras for portraits.