The Gender Crisis in Professional Photojournalism

To date, there have been very little research or data available concerning the work patterns and challenges facing women photojournalists. As the digital era places professional photojournalists as a whole under more pressure than ever, this study seeks to unravel the particular challenges facing women photographers. Using data from 545 women photojournalists from 71 countries collected between 2015 and 2016, this article finds that women photojournalists face even more demanding circumstances than their male counterparts, in spite of the fact that they are more likely to have higher education and have more often received a higher level of training in photography. The data, collected in partnership with the World Press Photo Foundation, suggest the historical underrepresentation of women in photography is ongoing. We argue this pattern of underrepresentation will likely continue in the future meaning an even smaller proportion of women photographers presenting visual stories on the world's most pressing i...