portraiture
“I wanted to make something that might serve as a memorial to those women put to death, and to those women around the world fighting for their freedom now.”
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Renata Adela, originally from Spain, works figuratively in all kinds of media moving seamlessly across material, sculpturally in wax, clay, bronze, bandage, and in oil paint, pastels, etchings, embroidery, poetry, and performance. Renata recently exhibited as part of a 4 Woman Sculptors show entitled Woman/Matter in Venice, at Espazio Contemporeano. The photoshoot took place in Renata’s workshop in the UK.
“We can achieve a reality in which cooperative evolution for all life is our destiny. Quantum physics is revealing to us a world beyond our collective imagination. Time for a new dream for humanity and all life in this world.”
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Susan was born in Lagos, Nigeria and was raised in the UK. She is a story teller who uses the mediums of Theatre, Television and film to explore the human condition, focusing on projects that raise awareness of the refugee crisis and metal health issues.
She also lectures in clinical skills communication at Clinical and Communications Skills Unit Institute of Health Sciences Education Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Susan was photographed at Postman’s Park and St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London.
“As women we have risen above challenges and adversity that we have faced over the years. I’m captivated by what the world will look like when we attain gender equity.”
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Dr Mo Akindolie is Consultant in Ambulatory Paediatrics at King’s College Hospital and member of the leadership team at the College. She has led service design projects that have reshaped pediatric provision to better meet the needs of local children and their families. Mo was photographed in the Foetal Medicine Research Institute at King’s College Hospital in London.
"I was massively alienated from my own ethnic community for speaking publicly about my FGM, I was alienated from my family, but I stuck my ground because I knew I was on the right side of history."
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Nimco Ali OBE is a Somali British social activist and writer. She co-founded Daughters of Eve, a non-profit organisation which works to protect girls and young women at risk from female genital mutilation (FGM). Nimco lives in the UK. Nimco was photographed in her home in London.
“Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls will also contribute to the attainment of other goals as it means no-one is left behind. ”
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Shahira Amin is an independent award- winning journalist based in Cairo. A former contributor to CNN's Inside Africa, Amin also worked at Egyptian state- run Nile TV as one of its lead anchors and reporters. She quit her job at the height of the Egyptian Revolution in 2011 to protest cendorship of her work and has since been writing for various news sites including Index on Censorship and Al Monitor. She has also worked asa filmmaker producing several documentaries for UN agencies.
Amin is currently a Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council. She also works as a Communication Consultant on a water project supported by the European Union.
She was photographed at her home in Cairo.
"We need to honour our intuition, our inner wisdom, and very importantly, to honour the power of the heart, the capacity of developing unconditional love and compassion. The power of giving life creativity in all its forms."
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Daphne is a visual artist and psychologist. Her portraits were taken at her Studio in Stantiago de Chile.
“Misogyny cannot be a state policy nor an acceptable practice by any society in the world, nor can women be considered as slaves for men, nor should we continue with obsolete laws that harm women.”
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Rosalía Arteaga is the first Ecuadorian woman becoming President and Vice-President of the Republic of Ecuador. She was also Vice-minister of Culture and Minister of Education.
Currently, Dr. Arteaga is CEO of FIDAL Foundation and President of International University of La Rioja UNIR - Ecuador. She was photographed in the Central Library of Cantabria in Santander.
“I want to see women represented in every room where decisions are made and today that is far from the case. The pandemic has actually set us backwards so we need to double down on this work.”
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Shelmina was born in Tanzania. She had to leave home at 15 to obtain higher education, which was her passport out of poverty. She is a former IBM Vice President and has led global teams and businesses that delivered over $1B annually. Shelmina lives in Seattle with her family. The photoshoot took place at the Ismaili Centre in London.
“It's fine to be competitive in this day and age. Things are tough, and we have to fight for what we need and for what we want. But it should never be at the expense of hurting other people.”
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Emma has worked as a Graphologist since 1989. She has had her own Columns in The Times and The Financial Times analysing Leaders such as Rupert Murdoch, Sir Richard Branson, Sir Philip Green. More unusual cases have led her to analyse some controversial characters such as Saddam Hussein. Emma was photographed in the British Library in London.
“Learnings across pioneering cities can help share and export their local knowledge and experience about successful climate projects and initiatives on the ground to many other cities around the world.”
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rena is the Chief Revenue Office of ClimateView and is a Board Member at AWAR. She is strongly committed to the fulfillment of the UN SDGs through ESG, digital transformation and Tech for Good by addressing real life, human-centric challenges. Irena is originally from Bulgaria and was photographed at her home in London.
“Young women see power as something to be celebrated and to be proud of. I feel powerful when I’m being honest and when I’m not compromising who I am. Also, when I speak for other women who don’t have a voice — that’s when I feel that I’m being the best woman I could be.”
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Stella is a pioneer in the sustainable luxury fashion movement. She was photographed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai.
“I believe the role of journalism is to be a lantern, allowing society to exercise its right to know and understand; I believe human rights are non-negotiable. As long as I live, I will continue to write and writing will keep me alive.”
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Lydia Cacho is a Mexican journalist, author and a human rights advocate. She is the founder and director of the Centro Integral de Atención a las Mujeres in Cancún, Mexico, a crisis center and shelter for victims of sex crimes, gender-based violence and trafficking. Lydia was photographed in Madrid, Spain.
“Empowerment starts with breaking the silence of dependency. By supporting women to achieve financial independence, we can transform entire communities and create lasting change.”
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Born and raised in a strictly patriarchal society in Nepal, where daughters were often undervalued, I witnessed firsthand the struggles my mother faced due to financial dependency. Despite societal pressures, she eventually empowered herself, starting a small retail business that transformed her life and our family's dynamics. Inspired by her journey and the challenges faced by women in my community, I returned to Nepal in 2017 to work with marginalized women, helping them achieve financial independence. Today, I run my own business and a non-profit organization dedicated to this cause. As the Woman of the House, I take care of my parents and have gained the support of my father, who now proudly champions the empowerment of women.
Geeta was photographed at her non-profit organization's workshop in Kathmandu.
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Mimi Denissi is a prominent force in the Greek theatre. She is one of the most celebrated actresses in Greece as well as the most acclaimed translator of her generation, a major producer and director, and the author of six extraordinarily popular historical dramas. Mimi was photographed in her home in Athens, Greece.
“There’s probably never been a better time to be disabled. If you think about it, disabled people had to fight for the law to make it illegal to discriminate against people as a result of living with a condition.”
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Recognised as the UK's most influential disabled person and the BBC's 100 Women Laureate of 2020, Dr Shani Dhanda sparks transformative change as a consultant, collaborating with businesses and brands to authentically embrace inclusion and accessibility. Her expertise in disability inclusion has had a profound global impact, collectively reaching over 1.5 million employees worldwide. Shani was photographed in Dubai.
“We rise by lifting others, it is powerful when women can support each other.”
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Leonor Diaz Alcantara – is a multi-award-winning leader, spending the first part of her professional life in the private sector. During the Balkans war, she worked with children and women who were victims of the war. As of 2018, Leonor was the CEO of the Montessori Group. In 2019, Global Forum for Education and Learning named her one of the Top 100 Leaders in Education.
Leonor’s photoshoot was done at the Nightingale Montessori Nurseries in Clapham, London.
“What I regret is that during long years of peace and long years of tightening of screws in Russia, nothing was done in the respect of creating some kind of different vision for Russian people.”
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Eugenya is the UK Correspondent for Novaya Gazeta, a Russian independent newspaper.
“My mission has been to make sure women are free to express themselves without fear, self limitation, low self esteem, conditioning, imposed false beliefs, hence embracing their true identity and values.”
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Grazia Giuliani is the internationally published author of the 'Versatile Cooking & Living Italian'. The book encapsulates Grazia’s vision of food as nourishment of the body and the spirit enjoyed in conviviality. She was photographed in London, UK.
“Queen Victoria is my main inspiration. I find her endlessly fascinating because she doesn’t feel guilty about the things we feel guilty about. She didn’t appear to be vain.”
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Daisy Goodwin is a writer and television producer. Daisy has written the screenplay ‘Victoria’ about the early life of Queen Victoria for ITV and WGBH Masterpiece Theatre. She was photographed in her home in London.
“It’s very important not to pull up the drawbridge. We have a duty to help, support and bring one another along.”
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Baroness Hale of Richmond became the first woman President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom from 2017 until her retirement in 2020, after a varied career as an academic lawyer, law reformer and judge. A trailblazer, a feminist and a forthright campaigner for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and on the Bench, she continues to support the cause in any way she can.
“Women in the UAE are using their voice and they are influencing positively. They have the power to advocate for change through activism, by breaking down barriers and inspire others as role models of strength, courage, and resilience.”
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Diana Hamade is the founder of Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law in Dubai, a boutique law firm, which she has managed for 12 years. Diana is an expert in civil and sharia law, specializing in family law matters with emphasis on succession planning and private client. Her photoshoot was done in her home in Dubai.
“To be an effective leader, you need to be a lot of things at once. You need to be authentic, confident, and humble, and empathetic. You need to be able to listen, learn and connect to the people around you.”
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Lorraine Hariton is President & CEO of Catalyst, a global nonprofit working with the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. She was photographed at her home in New York.
“The world community doesn't realize its importance until it falls apart. The UN goals are the deep-rooted tree that keeps the community strong. ”
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Eunkyung was born in Seoul, South Korea. She worked for 20 years as a journalist and editor-in-chief at a design magazine, contributing to the development of the Korean design industry. She interviewed world-class designers, CEOs, and marketers, and worked on various design projects. A role model for female designers and editors, Eunkyung is now a design and lifestyle trend expert, working in corporate consulting, exhibition and space planning, and writing books. The photo shoot took place at the Gana Art Center in Seoul.
“Womanity must be respected, revered, revived, restored, women must be refreshed and repowered to take their place and to find their voice and to lead at every level.”
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Dion Johnson, also known as the Womanologist, is a multi-award-winning Women's champion. She was previously a midwife and then a Director in public services, where she pioneered, co-ordinated and led special services serving highly vulnerable and marginalised client groups. Dion was photographed at the Corinthia Hotel and in her home in London.
“My life's mission has always been to create innovations that solve real problems in my community. But more than that, I'm driven by a desire to uplift other women along the way.”
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Recognized as the youngest Emirati inventor in 2015, Fatima has had a passion for creativity and innovation since she was seven years old.
Fatima was photographed in the UAE at her family home in Al Ain.
“What you do for yourself dies with you but what you do for others lives on. Looking back, experience has taught me that the opposite of success isn’t failure, the opposite of success is not trying.”
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London-born mother of three, Annabel is the UK's no.1 children’s cookery author, bestselling international author, and a world-leading expert on devising delicious, nutritious meals for babies, children and families. Annabel has pioneered the way families all over the world feed their babies and children. She was photographed in her home in London.
“There is so much we can learn while meeting people, exploring new cultures and traditions.”
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Sophie Katsarava MBE, is a Georgian politician, diplomat and philologist. She was appointed Georgian Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2020. Between 2016 and 2019 she was a Georgian Dream Member of the Parliament of Georgia. She was photographed at the Georgian Embassy in London.
“I think it was my grandfather who taught me to respect nature. There will always be another day and another night. This is how nature works. Everybody knows this. Unfortunately, though, some live as if life would never come to an end; as if there would never be another day or night.”
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Imge is a management scholar at IE Business School and a visiting fellow at Harvard Business School. Previously, she was the Regional Program Director for EY and Country Program Manager for Goldman Sachs. Imge champions women’s economic empowerment and gender equality through her research, teaching, and collaborations with international organizations and NGOs. She was photographed at her home in Frankfurt.
“Imagine that you are in my position, you’ve been abducted, sold, raped, your father and brother have been killed, you were orphaned in captivity, your whole community is still suffering. What are your feelings and what are you gonna do? So if you want do something put yourself in my position and then answer my question.”
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Farida Khalaf is a Yazidi woman who was abducted by ISIS in 2014 and sold into slavery. She escaped to a refugee camp, and in 2016 published a book about her experience, The Girl Who Beat ISIS. Farida was photographed in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
“Every woman, every girl deserves the dignity to walk unashamed of her body and the cycles that define her nature. Together we will continue to break the chains of taboo. That has been the sole purpose of my life.”
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Radhika Budthapa Khatri is a distinguished figure in the fields of gender advocacy, women's and children’s rights and religion in Nepal. Hailing from the remote region of Jumla, Karnali, Nepal, she has defied odds and made a lasting impact on her community and beyond.
She was photographed at Uma Maheshwor temple Kirtipur, Kathmandu.
“Its inspiring if I can inspire other women as well.”
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Junella King started sailing when she was 15 years old at the National Sailing Academy Antigua. Junella began as an apprentice with Maiden and has now graduated to Crew. King became the youngest woman – and one of few people of colour – to navigate around the notoriously perilous Cape Horn during leg three of
the Ocean Globe Race. She was photographed on Maiden in Oyster Bay, New York.
“I know you can’t change the world, but I believe we have a responsibility to keep trying, now more than ever, in this interconnected world of rising populism and misinformation. That’s not why I wrote my book or my articles, but I hope that by changing some minds, opening some eyes, and teaching some lessons, we might create a better world… one pebble at a time.”
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Heidi Kingstone is a journalist who has reported from many countries, writing about people and issues for major publications. Her first book, Dispatches from the Kabul Cafe, was about her time in Afghanistan. Her latest book, Genocide: Personal Stories, Big Questions, chronicles 20th and 21st-century genocide, a subject she never expected to be quite so topical.
She was photographed at her home and the Imperial War Museum.
“Women are hard workers, both at home and out in the fields. They're lionesses, because of the way female lions group together and are the primary hunters.”
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Sheida is a British-Turkish-Iranian documentary filmmaker and composer based in London. Driven by her passion for ethnographic storytelling, she focuses on documenting women’s and migration issues in Turkey and Iran. Her award-winning student film 'Harvesting Our Tea' (2021) was selected for the One World Media Global Short Docs Forum, and later, commissioned by BBC Our World and broadcast globally in 2022. She was photographed at her home and the Sherriff Centre in London
“I was guided by two North stars: Excellence and Empathy. These were the criteria by which I judged myself and others. I never operated as a solo performer. Aware of my own limitations and abilities, I had always sought, and still do, to complement my skills with the expertise and experiences of others”
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Edna is a citizen of the world by culture and upbringing and a citizen of Israel and the UK by birth and intention, respectively. She is a pioneer of healthcare communications practice on a global basis.Her photoshoot took place at her home in London.
“Every failure is a lesson, and therefore a win.”
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Since 2000, Sia Kossioni has been working as a journalist in the press, on radio and on television presenting political news bulletins in Greece. In 2006 she started working at SKAI TV station presenting the main newscast. She was photographed at her home in Athens.
“Majority of the position holders in academia in Pakistan are girls. This is a silent revolution taking place. Sadly, as more and more women leave their homes and enter the workplace at all levels, incidents of injustice against women are also on the rise.”
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Attiya Mahmood has served as a Pakistani diplomat for over 35 years. Her credentials include Ambassadorial posts to the Kingdom of Morocco, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Indonesia.
She was photographed at her home and Quaid-e-Azam House in Karachi
“The conflict in Afghanistan has had an impact on skills and the degradation of Afghan handicrafts and artefacts. I envisioned a concept for capacity building on production of traditional Afghan handicrafts, that also creates jobs for women and involves the community as a whole to support one another.”
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Selai is a distinguished champion for women’s rights and equal education, holding an Oxford Executive MBA. She serves as the visionary founder of an Afghan NGO dedicated to fostering community development through innovative ecosystems. Selai is renowned for her linguistic mastery, strategic communication skills, thought leadership, and pioneering entrepreneurial ingenuity. She was photographed at and the Oxford Saïd Business School and Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.
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Professor Mo teaches courses on modern China and women’s and gender history. Her research focus on China’s production of its national image.
Yajun was photographed in High Line Park, New York.
“Enabling great and determined people, who step up and take responsibility is my purpose. It is what my country taught me to do.”
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Penny Mordaunt was Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons between 6 September 2022 and 5 July 2024.
Previously she was Minister of State at the Department for International Trade from 16 September 2021 to 6 September 2022.
She was the department’s ministerial disability champion.Penny was an MP from 2010 to 2024.
Penny was photographed at Westminster Abbey
“My multiple identities—woman, Latina, native, immigrant, Catholic, feminist, scientist—give rise to my core vision to promote inclusion and empowerment of individuals from all walks of life.”
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Paola Moreno-Roman is originally from Peru. She actively advocates for science's crucial role in society as a powerful tool to empower others. Paola has a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Stanford University. Paola was photographed in Downtown Manhattan, New York.
“During the global pandemic we learned that there may be times when we have to keep our distance in order to protect ourselves and others. Yet, I know that even then, we can always find ways to embrace and support each other, figuratively if not physically.”
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Femi Oke is a veteran journalist, broadcaster, writer, professional facilitator, and the co-founder of the diverse moderators' bureau "Moderate The Panel." Femi is currently based in Washington DC being a senior presenter and journalist for the TV network Al Jazeera English, where she was photographed.
“Law can both be an instrument of oppression and of social justice. We can deploy the means and the tools of international law to ensure accountability for colonial wrongs, for historic pollution, for looted colonial assets.”
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Phoebe Okowa is a professor of public international law and director of graduate studies at Queen Mary, University of London. Okowa is the first African Woman to be elected to the International Law Commission.
Phoebe’s photoshoot took place in her home in Oxford.
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Delores A. Price is a retired teacher in New Orleans. As of 1980 she has been serving the community through the New Salem Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Warren Jones, Jr. In 2005 the ninth ward where New Salem Baptist Church is located was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Delores committed to rebuild the community through supporting the families that were able to return.
She was photographed at New Salem Baptist Church in New Orleans.
“The worst thing is not to achieve your full potential. Don’t think the obstacles are immovable. With enough determination and hard work, you can achieve whatever you want.”
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Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Adviser and a board member at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Her latest book, ‘Women vs Capitalism’ was published in November 2019.
Her photoshoot took place at her home in London.
“In countries like Iran, artists can get imprisoned, and a work of art can make such fear in establishment that I think sometimes making an artwork is an act of resistance and it's an activism.”
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Anahita is a critically acclaimed artist working primarily in painting and regularly exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions. Studied at the Courtauld and Chelsea College of Art and University of Applied Arts Vienna (de Angewandte). She has used her creative talents and platform to advocate for social and political change. She has been engaged in activism through her art since moving to the UK from Iran 19 years ago. She was photographed at her studio in Brixton, London.
“In the middle of my journey, while I was still healing, I decided to launch an initiative to help anyone who has a mental health problem. I felt that this was my life’s mission. My purpose in life – my calling.”
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Sheikha Majda Jaber Humoud Al-Sabah was born and raised in Kuwait. She is a philanthropist, an entrepreneur, and an advocate for mental health and well-being. In 2007, she launched “ASAP” an environmentally friendly brand that delivers a full range of ethical and natural beauty care products and solutions.
Majda was photographed in her family house in Kuwait.
“Women are born powered. When they lack self-esteem that's when things start to go wrong. Women need to use self-esteem as their power.”
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Her Highness Sayyida Basma Fakhri Al Said is a Mental Health Consultant and therapist with over 21 years of experience in the field of mental health. She is the owner and founder of Whispers of Serenity, the first mental health wellness clinic in Oman.
She was photographed at The Reform Club in London, UK.
“It is through the value of knowledge, you can empower yourself.”
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Founder, The Toucan Project and Board Member of the Saïd Foundation. Rasha Saïd Khawaja is Founder of The Toucan Project and Deputy of the Saïd Foundation. Outside of the world of Toucan, Rasha is a devoted mother and an adventurous traveller who one day hopes to conquer Kilimanjaro and to walk The Great Wall of China.
She was photographed at her home in London, UK.
“Women have been underserved in history, in storytelling, especially when I was growing up. And the significance of this individual pebble, to me, says that we are all so unique.”
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Shamim Sarif is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and film director. Her book The Shadow Mission, is an all-female contemporary action thriller. She is an LGBTQ+ rights activist. Shamim’ feature as writer/director is Despite the Falling Snow, has garnered 13 awards to date. Her photoshoot took place at her home in London.
“Investment in human capital promotes growth and helps ensure the benefits of economic growth are distributed more equitably.”
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The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC is the 6th Commonwealth Secretary-General. Born in Dominica, she moved to the UK at an early age and was brought up in a large close-knit Caribbean family where she was taught the importance of hard work, education, pride in her heritage and the obligation to give back to the society. A lawyer by profession, she became the first black and youngest woman ever to be appointed Queen's Counsel. She is the only woman since the post was created in 1315 to be Attorney General for England and Wales.
The photoshoot was done at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
“Having the pebble in my hands gave me the opportunity to connect with other women across the world, it made me understand the power of togetherness.”
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Florence is a leading force in the women's empowerment battle in Sierra Leone, work closely with community activists, leaders, and groups. She was photographed at her home in Freetown.
“As a writer, you have homework for the rest of your life. While your friends are having martinis in a jazz bar, you’re like, ‘How does this story end?”
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Author of twelve books and co-editor of What Doesn’t Kill Her: Women’s Stories of Resilience, Dr Elisabeth Sharp McKetta teaches writing for Harvard and Oxford. For seven years, she wrote weekly poems for strangers as part of her Poetry for Strangers Project. Elisabeth was photographed at Paddington Station.
“For me, one great moment was during a day spent with Gloria Steinem in Pittsburgh. She said,’I have taken you along and you must always take another woman's hand and bring her along as well.”
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Geraldine Sharpe-Newton has been Head of communications for three of the world's major news organisations, CBS News in the US, ITN in the UK and CNN International. Renowned for her networks and travels to uncommon places she is now working on her first book of short stories. Geraldine is a 'Founding' member of the Global Thinkers Forum. She was photographed at her home in London, UK.
“I was an unaccompanied child refugee who came to Britain in 1939 fleeing Nazi Europe. That traumatic start made me determined to make mine a life worth saving.”
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Dame Stephanie is a British information technology pioneer, businesswoman and philanthropist. Shirley was born as Vera Buchthal to a Jewish father and a non-Jewish Viennese mother. At the age of 5 she arrived together with her 9-year-old sister Renate in Britain unaccompanied in July 1939 as a Kindertransport child refugee.
The photoshoot was done in her home at Henley on Thames.
“There is a proverb that says, “Life keeps teaching you the same lesson until you learn it.” My divorce and failing at my first company had many things in common. They occurred roughly 10 years apart. And yet both had an element of “must stay and fight in the ring no matter what.”
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Muna AbuSulayman, is continuously named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World since 2009 and until 2019 for her work in media, gender, leadership and education and as an iconic Arab media personality and humanitarian.
Muna was photographed at Leighton House in London, UK.
“In every journey there is a map: a map to know where you have been, where you are, and where you want to be.”
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Dr. Rebecca Thomley is a licensed psychologist. She is Chief Executive Officer of Orion Associates and its related companies. Rebecca is one of the founding members of Headwaters Relief Organization, responding nationally and internationally to disasters providing first response, public health interventions, psychosocial support and education, medical support, clean-up and re-building. She was photographed in New Orleans.
“Be your own truth. Be open minded to collaborate, communicate your purpose and your values, be ready to share and be generous.”
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Maria Tibblin is a passionate advocate for how environments impact our health and wellbeing. Good health and wellbeing are fundamental to our thriving lives, and Maria has spent her life and work to support and promote behaviours which help determine our sustainable long-term health. She is Scandinavian who now resides in London with her two daughters.
Maria was photographed in her home in London.
“The successes of the Guide Dogs Association might be my greatest source of joy, not only because it advances disability rights and furthers our cause in Turkey, but because the Association allows me to share the values I learned from my mother, strength and perseverance, to everyone I meet, including the generation of women who will come after me”
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Nurdeniz Tunçer is the President of the Guide Dog Association in Turkey. Her own visual impairment began when she was 10 years old, which makes this mission personal to her. Nurdeniz works to advance the legal status and standard of living for the visually impaired in her country.
Her photoshoot was done at Istanbul University.
“I have always believed that building a world where everyone can live with dignity, justice, and equality is everyone’s responsibility.”
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Marianna V. Vardinoyannis was a Greek philanthropist and a world advocate and campaigner for human rights and children’s health. She was Founder/President of “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation”. She was Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and she is the recipient of the 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize of the United Nations.
She was photographed in her house in Athens, Greece.
“Growing up in the Cultural Revolution was like growing up in a hot house of fear. The world was twisted by terror imposed by the political climate and by people who had to survive within that kind of world. As a child, I was made to see everything through a distorted lens of revolution and hate. It did not only affect my view of government but also of the fragility and preciousness of humanity.”
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Diane was born in Beijing and spent part of her childhood with her parents in a labour camp in a remote region of China. She is the author of a memoir, LAKE WITH NO NAME. Her novels have been translated into 23 languages and published in 28 countries and territories.
She was photographed at her home in London.
“Despite the difficulties and uncertainty, I am prone to embrace change and for me it is an incredible opportunity to deaccession that which does not serve me and move forward into a fertile future which honors Mother Earth and our interconnected nature as a species on this earth.”
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Laura Weyl is a New York-based filmmaker, photographer, and multi-media artist. Her work explores sexuality, the urban landscape, and analog image manipulations to create visceral, poetic visual worlds. She is currently the director of Visual Identity at The Box NYC and Soho.
She was photographed in Manhattan, New York.
“It has been a bit challenging being one of the few female chiefs, amongst a huge number of men but I've always ensured that my voice is been heard in every decision making process in the district.”
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Ya Alimami rules over a mountain cut community in the Western Rural District of Sierra Leone, a highly male dominated area.
“As a child when I watched television, I was both aware that there were no black people and few women around on television, but also not quite aware of what that meant.”
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A member of the House of Lords since 2004, Lola has campaigned to eliminate modern forms of slavery in fashion, sport and other sectors. She champions the improvement of outcomes for children & young people in the care system and has a long track record of campaigning for equity & inclusion in the arts & creative sector, and in the academic world.
Her photoshoot took place at The Conduit Club in London.
"I ride on the shoulders and on the waves of those women that have come before me, just as one day, there will be those who will ride the waves that I have created to move forward as well."
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Victoria Yu was born in LA and raised in Shanghai. She is a Consultant in Deloitte's Global Strategy & Innovation team where she supports initiatives, such as climate and geopolitics, and co-develops the DEI team's programming.
Victoria’s photoshoot took place in Boston, MA.
