Open to women photographers around the world, the International Women Photography Awards (IWPA) wrapped up their 2019 contest with a winning Laureate image by Wan Chee Chan: a charming close-up of an elderly couple swimming in Hong Kong’s Wu Kai Sha pier at the crack of dawn, a ritual for a growing community of senior citizens in the city.
Established in 2001 with an aim to promote women photographers from all nations and to exhibit their work to a wide and diverse audience, the IWPA has helped launch these women’s careers forward, creatively and professionally. This year’s finalists presented a captivating mix of portrait, documentary, artistic and conceptual imagery, rich in social commentary. From a photo series tackling child marriage in Iran to an activist community in Kathmandu combatting the stigma of menstruating women as ‘impure’, the contest reveals a cache of wonderful talent from around the world.
The winning images are currently on display outdoors along Paris’ City Hall in the 1st arrondissement until August 30th. Visit the IWPA’s website for the full list of finalists. Follow them on Instagram.
Images © copyright holders / via International Women Photography Awards