Women: The National Geographic Image Collection is a special issue (November 2019) of National Geographic Magazine and the first issue ever to be written and photographed exclusively by women. There is also a companion documentary premiering November 2019 on National Geographic, and a companion exhibition that will open at the National Geographic Museum in Washington D.C. on October 22, 2019.
What’s Happening:
- As we approach the 100th anniversary of the U.S. constitutional amendment confirming women’s right to vote, a powerful new book from National Geographic showcases iconic women around the world. "WOMEN: The National Geographic Image Collection,” available October 15th, illuminates, celebrates and reflects on where the world’s women have been, where they are now and where they are going.
- The book’s 450 stunning photographs, drawn from National Geographic’s unparalleled Image Collection, span three centuries and more than 30 countries. Each page creates a portrait of some aspect of women’s existence and shows readers how the depiction of women has evolved since National Geographic’s founding in 1888.
- Featuring 17 behind-the-scenes stories from famed female National Geographic photographers, including Lynsey Addario, Jodi Cobb and Ami Vitale, about some of their most arresting images of women, this provocative book examines women’s lifestyles across world cultures, from historic U.S. suffragette images to the haunting green-eyed “Afghan girl.”
- WOMEN is divided into six themes — joy, beauty, love, wisdom, strength and hope. Complementing the chapters are three sections called “Portraits of Power.” These include evocative photos shot by renowned National Geographic photographer Erika Larsen and interviews in which National Geographic’s first female editor-in-chief, Susan Goldberg, posed the same 11 questions to an iconic group of activists, luminaries, politicians and celebrities.
- Among those featured are Oprah Winfrey, conservationist Jane Goodall, teen gun control activist Emma González, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and former first lady Laura Bush.
- "WOMEN: The National Geographic Image Collection" is a compelling, timely and richly diverse volume. It honors groundbreaking women everywhere who’ve made it possible to say, definitively, that the future is female.
- The book will have the unprecedented full support of the National Geographic media arsenal, including a corresponding cover of National Geographic magazine and a one-hour companion documentary to air on the National Geographic channel around the world:
- The November issue of National Geopraphic Magazine on women will be the first issue in which all the contributing writers, photographers and artists are female. With the issue’s release online Oct. 15 and on print newsstands Oct. 29, the magazine will launch a yearlong, enterprise-wide project exploring women’s lives around the globe.
- In the November issue, compelling photography and in-depth reporting offer readers a wide range of perspectives on how women are changing the world. Feature stories illuminate the experiences of women in the military and in the female-majority government now leading Rwanda.
- Exclusive data, maps and graphics rank how 153 countries treat women in terms of inclusion, justice and security. And a study suggests how city planning must change to increase women’s safety. In addition to these features, the issue contains portraits of, and observations from, a Who’s Who of accomplished women. Laura Bush, Sylvia Earle, Alex Morgan, Nancy Pelosi, Oprah Winfrey and others answer National Geographic’s questions, describing the challenges, opportunities and promise of womanhood today.
- National Geographic’s new special, "Women of Impact: Changing the World," premiering Oct. 26 on National Geographic at 10/9c showcases an incredible group of history-making and boundary-breaking women whose stories create a stunning portrait of the past, present and future of the distinctly female impact on our world.
- The special features both new and archival interviews with more than 40 women, representing a wide swath of disciplines, cultural backgrounds and generations, including legendary ocean explorer Sylvia Earle, journalist and author Martha Raddatz, photographer Ami Vitale, philanthropist Melinda Gates, the incomparable Jane Goodall and others.
- The National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., will open “Women: A Century of Change” a powerful photography exhibition displaying more than 100 archival images that highlight women from around the globe. Featuring images taken by renowned National Geographic photographers, such as Lynsey Addario, Jodi Cobb, Ami Vitale and Erika Larsen, the exhibition illuminates the lives of women over the past century and creates a portrait of what it means to be a woman today. The exhibition will be on display from Oct. 22, 2019, through spring 2020.