This is Gender is a collaborative, curatorial initiative shaped by expertise across disciplines and regions.
Each edition brings together artists, judges, partners, and advisors working at the intersection of gender, health, justice, and visual culture. Their perspectives guide the selection, framing, and public life of the work — helping us to question our own positions, remain attentive to evolving ethical debates, and ensure the initiative remains rigorous, responsive, and grounded in lived and professional knowledge.
We are deeply grateful to all those who have contributed their time, insight, and care to This is Gender over the years, and whose involvement continues to shape its direction and possibilities.
JUDGES
For each competition cycle, This is Gender convenes leading voices in visual culture and gender justice from across the globe to serve as its panel of judges. Working at the frontlines of visual justice, they bring deep expertise in how images shape meaning, power, and public understanding across different contexts.
Judging takes place through collective review and roundtable exchange, embedding critique, dialogue, and ethical reflection within the selection process. These discussions are an invaluable opportunity for us to interrogate assumptions, navigate tensions in representation, and remain attentive to the responsibilities involved in visualising diverse gendered realities across the world.
We thank our judges for their time, care, and intellectual generosity. Their contributions are central to each edition and to the thoughtful, questioning approach that underpins This is Gender.
2026 Edition — Counter-Records
ANNE KWAKKENBOS
Senior Gender Expert, Cordaid, working in the field of women’s rights and gender equality in conflict areas
LYDIA MARDIRIAN
Researcher at the Arab Image Foundation, writer and lecturer in photography
TATIANA LOPEZ Documentary Photographer, Visual Anthropologist, Lecturer, and member of Tawna Collective
2025 Edition —Cripping the Lens
CARBON
Black trans artist, activist and academic. A proud member of the Trans Collective,
SHAMUM SALIM
Queer Muslim disabled feminist, human rights activist and Founder of Henna Space
NATIONAL ACCESSARTS CENTRE CURATORIAL PROGRAMME
Asha, Carla S, Eve Johnson, Kathy M Austin, Mark Bedford and Sherrine Fox
2023 Edition — Gender (In)Equality
THIRUSHA NAIDU
Head of Clinical Psychology at King Dinuzulu Hospital and an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Public Health in Durban, South Africa
WANDERLY SANTOS
Brazilian intercultural psychotherapist currently practising between Brazil and the University of Oxford.
2021 Edition — Visualising Gender in Times of Pandemic
JESSICA HORN
Founding member, the African Feminist Forum and Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health
SUHAIR KHAN
Technologist, design activist, creative leader and Founder/Director of Open/Ended
AZU NWAGBOGU
Nigerian art curator. Founder and Director of the African Artists’ Foundation and the LagosPhoto Festival.
ESRA’A AL SHAFEI
Bahraini civil rights activist, blogger, and the founder and executive director of Majal (Mideast Youth) and its related projects.
2020 Edition — Power, Privilege, Priorities
YAGAZIE EMEZI
Nigerian artist and photojournalist exploring culture and identity through visual storytelling and reportage.
SAHRA MANI
An award-winning filmmaker, university lecturer and founder of Afghanistan Documentary House.
PARTNERING INSTITUTIONS
This is Gender builds dynamic partnerships with organisations across visual culture, gender, and social justice to co-develop ideas, deepen dialogue, and amplify impact. These collaborations help move the initiative forward — enabling new exhibitions, public programmes, and cross-sector conversations that extend far beyond the competition cycle.
Cripping the Lens was developed in collaboration with CREA and the National AccessArts Centre (NaAC), bringing together shared expertise in disability justice, visual culture, and access-led practice. We thank our partners for their commitment to amplifying disabled voices through the arts.
PAST SPONSORS
As an independent initiative housed within a non-profit organisation, This is Gender is made possible through external funding and institutional support. We are grateful to those who have supported the initiative to date, enabling us to develop each edition with care, rigour, and integrity.
Continued support allows This is Gender to remain accessible, independent, and responsive as it grows.
This is Gender 2021: Visualising Gender in Times of Pandemic was proudly sponsored by the Global Health Innovative Fund (GHIT)
Many thanks to GHIT for their generous support.
Interested in working with us?
This is Gender collaborates with artists, institutions, and supporters who share our commitment to visual justice, ethical practice, and critical dialogue.