About the contest
An international photography competition organized by the NGO Pim Pam Pum (Paris, France), open to anyone in the world, includes an exhibition in Paris of the 100 selected photographs and the reproduction of a photography book.
The competition was created to give visibility to global photographic talent and to ensure the durability of the
VISIBLES Project
— a free program supporting women photographers living in countries of war, social conflict and humanitarian crisis.
Check out our FAC
Consult the RULES
Submit my PHOTOS
wtbwcontest@pimpampum.fr
Each registration fee is an act of solidarity. It allows another woman, in a conflict zone, to photograph her reality and be seen by the world.
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The theme
WHAT IS IT
TO BE A
WOMAN?
TO BE A
WOMAN?
"What It Is To Be A Woman?" is an open question. There is no precise answer. There is no expected image.
Your photograph can capture what this experience represents, evokes, questions or celebrates for you — from your own gaze, your culture, your history, your imagination. The interpretation is entirely yours.
Photographs can approach this question from any perspective: documentary, intimate, conceptual, symbolic or social.
Being a woman is a universal and profoundly singular experience at the same time. It is strength, history, contradiction, tenderness, resistance, legacy and transformation.
This contest is a space to celebrate that multiplicity from all cultures, all gazes and all voices in the world.
The colour red is the visual axis of the VISIBLES Project and of this contest. It represents life, the cycle, resilience and the invisible thread that connects women across the world.
Red is not a requirement for submitted photographs — it is the visual spirit of the project. Your photo can be any colour.
What It Is To Be A Woman? | Paris 100 Photos Contest
Photographic styles · Select one per photograph
PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLES
01
Documentary
A woman who works before dawn. What is done for others without anyone seeing it. What is carried in silence. Life as it is.
02
Portrait
A gaze that says it all. The strength in the face of someone who has survived. What is carried in the body. What is not said but is seen.
03
Street
What happens in public space that nobody usually photographs. Two women who meet. A girl who runs. The world from her place.
04
Landscape
The land she cultivates. The landscape that shaped her. What is inherited. What is left behind. A sunset that is hers alone.
05
Photojournalism
What must be documented so it is not forgotten. Dignity in the midst of chaos. The testimony. What the world must see.
06
Fine Art & Abstract
A flower, a dress, a texture, a red colour. What cannot be said with words. A visual metaphor. What is felt but not named.
07
Other
Any image that answers the question from a place no other style names. A necklace, a kitchen, a hand, an object — whatever says it all for you.
Recognition
AWARDS & HONOURS
Level 1
The 100
Laureates
Laureates
100
- Publication in the official Book "100 Photos of What It Is To Be A Woman?"
- Official Laureate Certificate 2026
- Digital seal WITBW Laureate 2026 for social media & portfolio
- Collective exhibition PARIS · 100 Photos — Labo 6, 6 rue de Rennes, 75006 Paris · Sep. 2026 · 10 days · free entry
- Special book price: €35 (public: €55)
Supporting the VISIBLES Project
By registering, you directly fund support for women photographers in conflict zones and humanitarian crises.
Level 2 — Selected by the jury
Grand Prix
WITBAW 2026
WITBAW 2026
- Cover of the official Book
- Individual physical exhibition in Paris: 10–15 A3 prints at Labo 6
- Editorial feature on the ONG's official website
- Invitation as jury of the VISIBLES Project 2026
- Monthly bulletin of international photography opportunities (Jan–Mar 2027)
- Free copy of the Book
Level 3 — Public vote @ong_pimpampum
7 People's
Choice
Choice
- 1 winner per each of the 7 photographic styles
- Editorial feature: interview + biography + gallery
- Official People's Choice WITBAW 2026 certificate
- Digital seal for social media & portfolio
- Monthly bulletin of opportunities (Jan–Mar 2027)
- Free copy of the Book
Registration
CATEGORIES & FEES
One registration fee per participant · covers up to 20 photographs · all categories evaluated together by the same jury
Category 01
Student
Currently enrolled students. A student certificate may be requested at any time during the process.
2€
↑ Up to 20 photographs
Submit my Photo
Category 02
Amateur
Non-professional photographers. No equipment or technique restrictions.
5€
↑ Up to 20 photographs
Submit my Photo
Category 03
Professional
Photographers with professional activity. Declared under your own responsibility.
10€
↑ Up to 20 photographs
Submit my Photo
What It Is To Be A Woman? 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the contest · 10 topics · 45 questions
What It Is To Be A Woman? is open to anyone in the world, regardless of gender, age, nationality, ethnic origin, or professional level. Photographs taken with any device, in any language, from any country.
You can submit up to 20 photographs per participant, in any combination of styles. The registration fee covers all your photos — it is a single fee per participant, not per photo. You can submit them in several sessions using the same registered email.
Student: you are currently enrolled in any academic discipline. A certificate will be required.
Amateur: you photograph out of passion, without regular professional activity.
Professional: you have significant experience, specialised training, or regular commercial activity. The category is declared under your own responsibility.
Amateur: you photograph out of passion, without regular professional activity.
Professional: you have significant experience, specialised training, or regular commercial activity. The category is declared under your own responsibility.
Yes. All photographs — regardless of category — are evaluated together by the same jury, using the same criteria. The category only determines the registration fee. There are no separate prizes by category: the 100 Laureates and the 8 Prize Winners are selected from the full pool of submissions.
Yes, in all categories. The device is not an evaluation criterion. What is evaluated is the image itself.
Yes, in all styles. It is not a separate category — it is a completely valid technical choice.
Yes. The photograph may have been taken in any year, as long as you are the original author.
Yes, as long as you are the author and they are not subject to active exclusivity clauses with another contest or publication.
Yes. Photographs that have received prizes in other contests are accepted, provided you indicate this at the time of registration and they are not subject to active exclusivity.
Yes. What It Is To Be A Woman? and the VISIBLES Project are separate projects. Having participated or won in VISIBLES neither excludes you nor gives you any advantage.
Registrations close at midnight, Paris time (CEST — UTC+2), on June 15, 2026.
It is an open question — and it is asked of everyone. There is no expected answer. You can photograph from the inside (what you live), from the outside (how you see the women around you), or from the symbolic (what being a woman evokes in your culture). The interpretation is entirely yours.
Not necessarily. A flower, a dress, a landscape, a texture, an object — any image can answer the question if you decide so. What matters is your gaze.
Yes. Red is not a requirement. It is the visual axis of the project — inspiration, not limitation. Your photograph can be any colour.
When submitting each photograph you select one of 7 styles: Documentary · Portrait · Street · Landscape · Photojournalism · Fine Art & Abstract · Other. The style describes how the photo is taken — not what it must show.
Only through www.pimpampum.fr/what-it-is-to-be-woman. Complete the form, upload your photo (JPG/PNG, min. 2,480 × 3,508 px, max. 8 MB) and make the payment via Stripe.
International credit and debit cards via Stripe: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and others. The payment is secure and encrypted.
No. The fees directly fund the VISIBLES Project. Once payment has been processed, no refunds are issued. For technical issues, contact wtbwcontest@pimpampum.fr.
Yes. Immediately after payment you will receive a confirmation email with your participant number, the unique link to your photograph(s), and your promotional code.
The digital gallery (active from May 22, filterable by style and category) is the contest showcase during the registration and voting months. It is different from Labo 6, the physical exhibition space in September.
The gallery opens on May 22. Photos submitted before that date appear on that day. Photos submitted after appear in real time, usually within less than 24 hours.
Two functions: public visibility from day one, and it allows the public to vote for your photograph. The accumulated votes determine which are the 50 most voted among the 100 Laureates.
Once per photograph. The system registers the vote by device and session to avoid duplications.
No. The 100 Laureates include 50 selected by the jury (by artistic quality, without seeing votes) and 50 by public vote. If the jury considers your photo to be among the best, it will be selected regardless of votes.
For the jury selection: no. The jury evaluates the quality of the image, not its popularity. For the 50 most voted: sharing helps, but the jury guarantees that talent always has an independent path to recognition.
What It Is To Be A Woman? has registration fees for all — those fees fund support for women in vulnerable situations. If you are a woman photographer in a war or humanitarian crisis zone, we invite you to the open call of the VISIBLES Project, which opens in June 2026 and is completely free. More info: visibles@pimpampum.fr
Phase 1 (May–June): Gallery and public vote open May 22. June 16–30: the jury selects its 50 best (without seeing votes). July 1: announcement of the 100 Laureates (50 jury + 50 public).
Phase 2 (July): July 1–20: People's Choice vote on Instagram @ong_pimpampum. July 21: announcement of the Grand Prix (jury) and 7 People's Choice (one per style).
Phase 2 (July): July 1–20: People's Choice vote on Instagram @ong_pimpampum. July 21: announcement of the Grand Prix (jury) and 7 People's Choice (one per style).
On July 1, @ong_pimpampum goes private. The 100 Laureates are published progressively (5 photos/day). Voting is with ❤️. At the close of July 20, the photo with the most ❤️ in each style wins the People's Choice. On July 21 the account becomes public again.
Request to follow @ong_pimpampum directly on Instagram. Current followers don't need to do anything. New followers are accepted through a confirmation system that filters non-authentic profiles.
It does not disqualify you. For the 100 Laureates and the Grand Prix you do not need Instagram. For the People's Choice, the public can vote for your photograph even if you don't have an account.
Yes. You can vote for the photographs of other Laureates that impact you most. There is no conflict of interest.
Automatically: publication in the official Book, Official Certificate, digital Seal, participation in the Paris exhibition (Sep. 2026), and the special book price (€35 vs. €55 public).
The exhibition at Labo 6 (Sep. 2026) is the What It Is To Be A Woman? exhibition, not the VISIBLES Project. They are related but separate events. Participating in the contest does not guarantee inclusion in the VISIBLES exhibition.
Yes. The Grand Prix receives a formal invitation as jury of the VISIBLES Project 2026 and to the round table — both in September.
Not automatically for free. You receive the right to purchase it at the special price of €35 (vs. €55 public). Only the 8 winners (Grand Prix + 7 People's Choice) receive it completely free. Shipping not included.
Yes. The book is available at the general public price of €55 for anyone. Shipping not included.
No. By registering you grant the ONG a non-exclusive licence to publish your photograph in the book. You retain all copyright over your work.
The book will be available on August 15, 2026 and distributed from August 20. It can be collected free of charge at the Paris exhibition from September 15.
Minimum 2,480 × 3,508 pixels (A4 at 300 DPI) and maximum 8 MB per file. Format: JPG or PNG. This guarantees quality for printing in the book and possible physical exhibition.
No. Once payment has been processed, the photograph cannot be replaced. Make sure to upload the final version.
Photographs not selected as Laureates will be deleted from the ONG's servers after the end of the exhibition period (October 2026). Only the 100 Laureates are kept for the uses described in the rules.
For communication purposes related to the contest, yes — always with credit to the author. Registration does not transfer copyright. You retain full intellectual property over your work.
They are two separate projects by the ONG with complementary objectives. What It Is To Be A Woman? is a contest open to everyone, with fees that fund the VISIBLES Project. VISIBLES is a free programme for women photographers in countries at war or humanitarian crisis: annual exhibition in Paris, professional mentorship, and camera collection for refugee camps.
No. It exists precisely to guarantee its sustainability. The VISIBLES Project 2026 open call opens in June and is completely free. More info: visibles@pimpampum.fr
By email: wtbwcontest@pimpampum.fr
On Instagram: @ong_pimpampum (direct message)
We respond within 48 hours on working days. For urgent matters regarding payments or technical issues, please indicate "URGENT" in the subject line.
On Instagram: @ong_pimpampum (direct message)
We respond within 48 hours on working days. For urgent matters regarding payments or technical issues, please indicate "URGENT" in the subject line.
Recognition
AWARDS & HONOURS
Level 1
The 100
Laureates
Laureates
100
- Publication in the official Book "100 Photos of What It Is To Be A Woman?"
- Official Laureate Certificate 2026
- Digital seal WITBW Laureate 2026 for social media & portfolio
- Collective exhibition PARIS · 100 Photos — Labo 6, 6 rue de Rennes, 75006 Paris · Sep. 2026 · 10 days · free entry
- Special book price: €35 (public: €55)
Supporting the VISIBLES Project
By registering, you directly fund support for women photographers in conflict zones and humanitarian crises.
Level 2 — Selected by the jury
Grand Prix
WITBAW 2026
WITBAW 2026
- Cover of the official Book
- Individual physical exhibition in Paris: 10–15 A3 prints at Labo 6
- Editorial feature on the ONG's official website
- Invitation as jury of the VISIBLES Project 2026
- Monthly bulletin of international photography opportunities (Jan–Mar 2027)
- Free copy of the Book
Level 3 — Public vote @ong_pimpampum
7 People's
Choice
Choice
- 1 winner per each of the 7 photographic styles
- Editorial feature: interview + biography + gallery
- Official People's Choice WITBAW 2026 certificate
- Digital seal for social media & portfolio
- Monthly bulletin of opportunities (Jan–Mar 2027)
- Free copy of the Book
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