I’m so excited to be a part of the Establishment Brewing‘s International Women’s Day Beer! My self-portrait with the Milky Way on a ridge in the Canadian Rockies is on the label of their new beer release, Rebel Girl. A portion of the proceeds from beer sales will be given to The Pink Boots Society – an international organization of women and non-binary folks in the fermented and alcoholic beverage industry working collectively to support and advance the careers of its members through educational scholarships, committed to advocating for a safe and equitable industry as well as promoting diversity and inclusion.
International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It’s also a reminder that there are many challenges and unequal opportunities for women in many fields, including one of my fields, photography. I’ve spent most of my life in male-dominated industries, from physics in university to now in photography. Even currently, representation can be lacking in the photography industry. Companies announce line-ups of ambassadors/elite photographers/speakers that are all men, have little diversity, or have a poor ratio of women included. People are noticing, and people are saying something. The revolution is comin’. As a photographer, mentor, speaker, and educator, I’ve been trying to advocate for more diversity. Honestly, sometimes I don’t know what to do, and it feels like I don’t get anywhere. But then every once in a while something positive happens, or I feel like I was able to help. Those are good moments. Here’s to more opportunities to make a positive difference.
