Alexia Foundation 2014 - Women’s Initiative Grant - documentary photographic project

The Alexia Foundation is pleased to announce the call for entries for the 2014 Women's Initiative Grant which will provide a $25,000 grant for a project to be produced on a significant issue involving and affecting women anywhere in the world.

The Alexia Foundation's main purpose is to encourage and help photojournalists create stories that drive change. While our traditional grant guidelines put no limits on the subject matter for grant proposals, a number of proposals about women's rights in the last few years have been so powerful that we have been compelled to create a grant specifically on issues relating to women.

Unlike the first Women's Initiative grant, which specifically focused on abuse of women in the United States, this call for entries is open to photographers any where in the world and is intended to permit the photographer to produce a serious documentary photographic project encompassing any issue involving women anywhere in the world.

While considering the idea of women's issues, several themes that have been suggested, including: femininity and the culture of abuse; women making a difference, leading, changing things for the better; gender inequality; the direct connection to women and education, and the impact on birth rates, health of children and the productivity of the women; gender discrimination, women in leadership, women in the military, mental health issues. They are by no means intended to influence your proposal, but they may help you start thinking about this topic. They are, in fact, just general themes.

All applications are expected to adhere to photojournalism ethical standards. Photos may not be digitally manipulated beyond the bounds of standard of traditional darkroom practice (dodging, burning and cropping). Scenes may not be manipulated in anyway. No objects maybe introduced or removed and subjects should not be directed. The exception is portraits, which should be clearly identified as portraits.

The deadline for submission is June 30, 2014 at 2p.m. EST.

More information: http://www.alexiafoundation.org/grants/womensinitiative2014