because often it’s the princess who kills the dragon and saves the prince

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2022

march 08, 2022

International Women's Day Open Call to everyone – agender, androgyn, bigender, cisgender, genderfluid, gender-nonconforming, genderqueer, intergender, intersex, omnigender, non-binary, questioning, transgender & transexual – and not just women.

“Ideally, what should be said to every child, repeatedly, throughout his or her school life is something like this: 'You are in the process of being indoctrinated. We have not yet evolved a system of education that is not a system of indoctrination. We are sorry, but it is the best we can do. What you are being taught here is an amalgam of current prejudice and the choices of this particular culture. The slightest look at history will show how impermanent these must be. You are being taught by people who have been able to accommodate themselves to a regime of thought laid down by their predecessors. It is a self-perpetuating system. Those of you who are more robust and individual than others will be encouraged to leave and find ways of educating yourself — educating your own judgements. Those that stay must remember, always, and all the time, that they are being moulded and patterned to fit into the narrow and particular needs of this particular society.”
― Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook

There is no image prompt for this year's IWD open call. Instead, we want you to create a collage portrait of the feminist who inspired you most, and tell us what you like about her (or him) and how they influence(d) your life.

Submit your collage or mixed media artwork - (almost) anything goes - via Instagram using #pccwomensday2022

Submissions are accepted all throughout February, that is February 1st to February 28th – work submitted earlier or later will (most likely) not be considered!

Emma Bonino. Born on March 9, 1948, Emma Bonino is an Italian politician, one of the most important figures of the liberal radicalism of the republican age, as well as a leading figure for Italian feminism. She was the female figure of my first voting, I consider her a great woman, who has always pursued the ideals of female freedom. She was among the people who founded the Information Center on Sterilization and Abortion, accusing herself at the time of the crime of procuring abortion. In addition to having held important positions in the Radical Party, she was a member of the executive committee of the International Crisis Group, creator and promoter of the International Criminal Court, delegate for Italy to the UN for the moratorium on the death penalty, as well as founder of the international organization "There is no peace without justice" for the abolition of female genital mutilation. In 2011 she is the only Italian included by the US magazine Newsweek in the list of "150 women who move the world". This collage is a tribute to the woman I would have liked as President of our sad country. [valechi_collage]

Dedicated to Angela Davis, ... And to all women / free / warriors / outsiders from which to take example... [collagebysandrine]

My feminist hero #idabwells journalist and activist who exposed the hypocrisy of white supremacy and helped change public opinion about lynching. She was a badass activist, fearless in her fight for gender and race equality. She also proved that women, like men, can have a family and remain professionally successful and politically active. [Keren Ben-Horin]

Mother of the Worlds [Sangeeth Madurawala]

"Real things don't frighten me just the ones in my mind do". Tribute to Francesca Woodman @francesca.woodman (1958 – 1981) for IWD #pccwomensday2022, @pariscollagecollective. She was an American photographer best known for her black and white pictures featuring either herself or female models. Someone said that Woodman exposed the difficulty of the female artist moving beyond the role of student. However, I can't even describe how deeply I feel her pain and emptiness every time I look at her photos.[lpkvskaya]

“Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” F. Kahlo These words guided me in the creation of a collage portrait of Frida Kahlo, the feminist who inspired me most. What I like about her is that she was able to drew power from her illnesses, her roots and her sexuality in a world where these parts of herself were seen as disadvantages. She influences my life by broadening my perspectives and teaching me to be resilient, bold and passionate. [Carolina Santoli]

Florbela Espanca (1894-1930) was a Portuguese poet who, although she was not involved with the feminist movement was, in her own way, a precursor of portuguese feminism. She was born, lived and died in a patriarchal society, which closed the door to full recognition of her work. Florbela inspired me, from an early age, for her melancholy and passion, but also for being a pioneer in the assumption of her wishes, decisions and feelings. [Monica Bulcao]

“Pés, pra que te quero, se tenho asas para voar?” "Feet what do I want you for, if I have wings to fly." (Frida Kahlo) [Francine Alves]

I chose this famous photo of Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman, two famous feminists. They inspired me a lot as they are strong women and always supported important causes such as abortion. Moreover they reported violence against women and women's exploitation. We should all keep on the great job they did! [head in the clouds]

Agnès Varda ve kedisi. Agnès Varda ile tanışın. O bir yönetmen. O Fransız yeni dalgasının kurucularından. Filmleri ilham verici. Filmlerinin rengi ilham verici. Ben kırmızı bir iple onu takip ediyorum. Agnès Varda and Cat I follow this woman. I have a red string in my hand. [collageha]

De Albalú, me inspira su historia de vida y junto con su escritura -ninguneada e insultada en su natal Colombia, pero tan estudiada y ponderada por fuera- me reclaman como un eco de fantasía connatural no escuchado, para conocerlas, estudiarlas, visitarlas, revisitarlas, referenciarlas; ambas: obra y vida. La -Nuestra- vida es un collage, lo mismo su novela mutante "Estaba la pájara pinta sentada en el verde limón". Háganse el favor de leerla y toda la escritura de esta mujer, escúchenla -en youtube hay algunas entrevistas 😍- y reconozcámosla nosotrxs también -no solo lxs de afuera- dentro del campo literario colombiano.[Federica Errante Calcomanias]

‘I am intrigued with combining the remnants of memories, fragments of relics and ordinary objects, with the components of technology. It’s a way of delving into the past and reaching into the future simultaneously.’ —Betye Saar. • • I have been inspired by Betye Saar’s work since the early 1990’s, her career has encompassed so many ways to make collage, all incredible! [Michelle L Miller]

Niki de Saint Phalle was a French-American Artist (1930-2002) who started her career as a fashion model, studied theater and acting , and then finally created art to overcome her painful past and mental crisis. Niki‘s provocative shooting paintings and round Nana sculptures were powerful expressions of her feminine strength and sexual revolution. The artist‘s deep awareness on topics like aids and mistreatment of people of color made her an advocate for minorities. Niki de Saint Phalle also worked on architectural projects like the Tarot Garden. In my collage I included photos of her Tarot Garden from my visit prior to its official opening to public. I am very grateful that Niki de Saint Phalle gave me the permission to see it, which was unforgettable and incredibly inspiring to me. In my opinion her strength was to transform pain to joy. It was a key to her absolute authentic beautiful artwork which touched so many souls. Also, I chose blue and yellow as main colors, because my heart goes out to the people of 🇺🇦 [Fariba]

As a girl, I saw Jane Goodall on TV, living on her own in a national park in Africa to study chimp behavior. In that instant, she became my hero and I made a series of small story books with Jane Goodall as the main character. I might not have been able to say back then why she mattered so much to me. Now I can see that she showed me that women can explore the world on their own. She also modeled entering another country not to conquer or control or take, but to learn how others live. I’ve now made solo trips to 20 different countries and each trip contained the small spark Jane Goodall handed me. [Kell Nelson]

Louise Bourgeoise. Best known for her giant spider sculptures, the artist explored patriarchy, motherhood and what it meant for women to be subjects rather than objects of art. Combining, the discernible themes of self, motherhood and domesticity could explain why Bourgeois has become synonymous with the feminist art movement, taking on an almost ambassadorial role. She was a strong feminist, but never called herself a ‘female artist’ or a ‘feminist artist’, you wouldn’t be able to place her gender from looking at a lot of her work. Her art was autobiographical – she was dealing with universal emotions: jealousy, rejection, and so on. Bourgeois’s work continues to influence contemporary artists. [Paty Benavides]

Mi propuesta para la convocatoria de @pariscollagecollective por el Día Internacional de la Mujer está inspirada en la escritora uruguaya Armonía Somers y su libro “La mujer desnuda”. La mujer desnuda es una novela deslumbrante, no solo por su exquisita y a la vez rara prosa, sino por su capacidad de conjugar lo fantástico con una perspectiva feminista y filosófica en torno al eros. La protagonista, Rebeca Linke, se despierta en su treinta cumpleaños; se arranca la cabeza, se la vuelve a poner y se interna desnuda en el bosque. A partir de entonces irá encontrándose hombres, poblados, violencia, deseo, hambre, en una historia apoteósica, publicada en 1950, que roza el delirio. Muy adelantada a su tiempo, algunos la juzgaron obscena, no tanto por su tratamiento de la sexualidad como por la rabiosa crítica social, que lleva a cabo a través de los tabús. [Patricia Unger]

"𝓑𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓸𝓻 𝓫𝔂 𝓬𝓻𝓸𝓸𝓴, 𝓘 𝓱𝓸𝓹𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓵 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓲𝓭𝓵𝓮, 𝓽𝓸 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓾𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭, 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓮𝓽 𝓬𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓭𝓲𝓹 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶. " V. Woolf - A Room of One's Own [art.inand]

Ode aan Joke Smit: zij legde de basis voor de tweede feministische golf. Ik ben met haar opgegroeid en heb me veruit laten inspireren door haar gedachtengoed. MVM maatschappij, gelijke rechten man en vrouw. Witte lakens uit de ramen en bordeauxrode tuinbroeken. [Jonaske de Ruiter]

The feminists who inspired me would never think of themselves as feminists. The idea would never occur to them that they inspired anyone. They are the women in my family that for generations quietly taught me the value of an education, to earn my own money, be independent, and know your worth. They did this by example while they raised children, raised roses, and raised a little hell. They loved, they lost, they sacrificed. They passed down recipes and family photos and made sure to vote in every election they were allowed to. They never carried signs or marched or had a documentary made about them but they taught their daughters to expect respect and their sons to be respectful. They believed in equal rights, equal pay, and equal opportunities to do the dishes, feed the dog, and go to college. They were the quiet feminists who did the every day job of raising future feminists who, in turn, will have the means to influence the minds of the next generation, vote in every election, and maybe raise a little hell along the way. [Terry Hoffman]

Plusieurs femmes féministes m ont inspirée. Flore, Chantal, Frida et Louise. Des artistes de la vie, des femmes qui bouleversent des vies, des femmes de combat, des femmes d exception. Frida Khalo est, pour moi, la figure du féminisme s opposant au positionnement rigide de la société hermétique à l émancipation des femmes. A travers son art, elle a abordé des sujets tabous. Elle a su mettre en lumière l expérience de vie d une femme. Agnès Varda dont les œuvres sont remplies d humanité, d engagement et de poésie. Louise Bourgeois, avec sa sculpture Maman, fait écho à 2 femmes, très importantes, dans mon parcours de vie : ma grand mère maternelle, Flore, une femme engagée. Résistante durant la deuxième guerre mondiale. J entends encore le son de sa voix quand elle me parlait de ses différents combats sociaux et de ses rêves d égalité et de libete.Ma maman, Chantal, qui m a insufflé le courage d être moi-même et la liberté de pensée. Elles m ont transmis, toutes les deux, l ouverture d esprit, le respect de soi et des autres, la bienveillance, l empathie et tellement d autres valeurs. Aux passeuses de l histoire intime et de la grande Histoire, à celles qui nous chuchotent que des combats ont été menés, à celles qui nous encouragent à les poursuivre et à ne pas baisser notre garde. Hommage aussi à toutes ces femmes "ordinaires" qui font du bien à l âme de l humanité. [Caroline Goblet]

In an industry dominated by men and money, Big Mama forged her own path as one of the founding mothers of rock-n-roll. With a powerful stage persona, outspoken lyrics, and a voice 'somewhere between an angel and a freight train', she was known to subvert traditional female roles and ultimately inspired the likes of Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Nicks. While not many people know Big Mama, almost everyone knows a song that was written especially for her. She topped the charts in 1953 with 'Hound Dog', three years before Elvis did - but few of his fans know that the song actually began as an anthem of black female power. Big Mama's story has inspired me: to learn to play the harmonica, to always be my authentic self, and to make sure my voice gets heard. I'm not big, or a mama, but there's a lot of Big Mama in me… as there is in all of us. [ Dr H]

To be raised by European migrants, to work as seamstress, factory worker, dental nurse and unionist, quick to identify poor working conditions for women. To become staunt activist who refused to pay full tram fare until equal wages were granted. To rally against the odds at a time when only men were allowed to drink in bars. To chain herself to the Commonwealth building and later Arbitration Court after an equal pay case application failed in 1969. Zelda d'Aprano certainly left an imprint on me and many others - a grass-roots activist who changed the landscape of feminist organising, a champion of women's rights in Melbourne, the place l was born. [Mish]

Why Marilyn? ➖ I first got to know Marilyn at collage when I was heavily into creating large artworks in a Pop Art style ➖ Andy Warhol’s large screen prints of Marilyn struck something deep inside me and I made copies of them as gifts for friends ➖ Then I purchased my own giant print and still have it on the wall in my studio today ➖ She was a strong female force and although she played to her advantages she new her own body and mind and would not be bossed around or taken advantage of ➖She worked her way up to the top of the film ladder and run her own film production company ➖ Something unheard of for a female of her time ➖ “One of the best things that ever happened to me is that I’m a woman. That is the way all females should feel.” Marilyn Monroe [Kat Evans]

Virginia Woolf was revolutionary: she spoke about the female figure and the restrictions that were placed on women during the Victorian period. “a woman must have money and a roof of her own, if she wants to write fiction” Woolf's contribution to the currents of feminism is undeniable. Many of her works deal with the difficulty that women have in dedicating themselves to an intellectual life, as they face economic situations that are disproportionate to men. She believed that education was the future to change this reality. Her works are marked by the stream of consciousness, a literary technique in which a character's non-linear thought process is written. Virginia Woolf explores the sensitivity and psychology of her characters, always looking for their identity. As a psychologist I have always found her work with the interior monologues to be magnificent and inspirational. Even now she keeps bringing me closer to the unconscious of the characters, with a strong message of tolerance in matters of the heart. She argued, and I agree, that women's experience, particularly in the women's movement, could be the basis for a transformative social change. [Joao Pedro Nunes]

Silvia Federici, militante y teórica del feminismo anticapitalista, por su activismo, por su pensamiento y por su lucidez. [thegorkaia]

This is my feminist icon...Michaela Coel is a legend. [Natalie Katona]

Myrtle Pease Hatfield for @pariscollagecollective open call #pccwomensday2022 She was Oregon State Equal Suffrage Association corresponding secretary from 1905-1912 working along side Abigail Scott Duniway.Her day job was with the Boys & Girls Aid Society for neglected children. Oregon got the vote in 1912. Myrtle died the following year at age 40. Jonquil (daffodils) were the flowers used in Oregon during the events.She inspires me so much because she dedicated over 7 years of her life for Votes for Women. This is part of a personal project I’m working on this year for Forest Groves 150th [kitchy collagist]

Angelina is a veteran feminist. A decade and a half ago, Jolie, at every opportunity, spoke out about the fact that a woman should not obey a man under any circumstances. The actress has repeatedly said that when she gets married, a woman turns herself into a man's property and into a slave. Currently, Angelina Jolie actively supports the campaign against violence against women, and also takes part in numerous charity events that are organized to help women and children who live in third world countries. [AISHA BALINA]

Song inspiration: Cornflake Girl. By Tori Amos. . . I always felt Tori's music has an inner strength...much like her. [r. Aloe 🇨🇦 🇮🇹]

My female hero is crown princess Mary. She has a number of protectorates , many of these about the social arena. She is founder of the #maryfonden an She fights girls and womens right’s . My collage also shows #sifobel , who in 1915 was one of the proponents og womens right to vote. [Conni Thiim]

Malala Yousafzai instantly popped up in my mind the very minute I thought to make this artwork. She is a Pakistani born activist for Right to Education. She continued to go school in her native Swat valley in Pakistan even though shew knew that she might be shot dead by Talibans. In 2012 she was shot on her head by a Taliban gunman. After her recovery she became a prominent activist. She received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at the age of 17 along with Kailash Satyarthi of India. I am a teacher and Malala Yosafzai has always remained my inspiration. Her quote 'One Child, One Teacher, One Pen and One Book Can Change The World' has pushed me to bring out my best as a teacher. [Dhaval Rawal]

Für mich ist Simone de Beauvoir Sinnbild dafür, dass die Freiheit nach Selbstbestimmung verlangt. Egal ob feminin , maskulin oder anderes... [Milo Art]

She was a writer, a thinker and an ambivalent person just like everybody else. [Sarah Saublet]

You may think that gender fluidity is a new concept but gender- nonconforming identities have a long history. Claude Cahun was born Lucy Schwob in 1894, she later adopted the gender-neutral name, used the pronouns they/them, and had a long relationship with their half sister who also adopted the gender-neutral name Marcel Moore. They created amazing surrealist art, plays, and photographic studies. For years the photographs were considered self-portraits of Cahun, but research into their estate revealed the photographs were a collaborative work. In them Cahun performs a wide and playful range of gender identities, using their body as canvas. In addition to all of this goodness, the couple were active in the French resistance, for which they were arrested and sentenced to death. Although the Island of Jersey, where they lived, was liberated before the Germans could execute them, Cahun never really recovered from their captivity and died less than a decade later. I am so inspired by their bravery and creativity and I just love how clearly they were having so much working together. Have you heard about Cahun before? What do you think about their work? [Keren Ben-Horin]

Frida Kahlo, an artist who was unafraid in expressing herself not only in her work but also in her vibrant apparel, and her personal and political convictions. Frida, who has been a big inspiration to me as a person and an artist, is represented here in her glory in "Queen Kahlo." [Annette Nichols]

Rosalind Franklin is my feminist icon for 2022. She grew up in my neighbourhood, Notting Hill. She was an ambitious scientist (chemist and physicist) when women were still uncommon in that profession. She made a crucial contribution to the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, but she did not get the Nobel Prize for her work along with Watson and Crick. Despite that, she went from strength to strength with a passion for her work and an impetus to improve the world. I too have a passion for my work and like her, am Jewish and march to my own drumbeat. She was not an easy person to like but that was because she had to fight for what she had a right to have. I am the last person someone would call aggressive but I try to channel my inner Franklin when I’m not being given my proper regard. [Emily Marbach]

✨~My mama said~✨ * Life is a gift * Stay creative * Wear a crown * Have fun * Travel & get lost * Reach for the stars * Inhale the good shit, exhale the bullshit * Love is all that matters [chokdi_instant_happiness]

American pioneer of The Women’s Movement, Gloria has been a teacher, author, speaker and leader in all aspects of womens “liberation” since the 1960’s and is still going strong today. She has a personal style and bearing that is her own, that is confident, ageless, timeless. I was in high school when I first heard of her work. It was empowering and eye opening for people of all ages and sexes. In recent times it seems much of the progress that was made, including a woman’s control of her own body, have slipped backwards all over the world. The fight goes on …and I am sure Gloria would say “Don’t Sit Down Yet!!!” I salute her! [Deb Haney]

#HannahHöch, was one of the Only Female Dadaists in the early 20th century,In Germany, most Dada artists working in photomontage were men and their art reflects it. Hannah offered a refreshing antithesis to such macho constructions. Her photomontages offer kaleidoscopic visions of German culture a distinctly queer, feminist perspective. She studied glassworking and book arts design, but during the war she worked at the Red Cross.Dadaists didn’t take her seriously, and nearly rejected her participation iin the First International Dada Fair in Berlin in 1920 because of her gender: As late as 1951, the American failed to include her in his study of the movement, titled Dada Painters and Poets. Höch, maintained a bob haircut and an androgynous look, found freedom in her self-presentation, art practice, and personal life. [lis_tale_collage]

My feministe hero: Frida Kahlo - ‚Beziehungsgeflecht - Mesh of relations‘ Inspiration for #pccwomensday2022 #fridakahlo A woman full of pain defies the odds on her way to freedom‘ [Simone von Stockhausen]

Eve is an inspiration, original rebel and advocate for growth and change! [Jennifer Gauerke]

“I hope going to the space station will set an example for children of color, and particularly young girls of color, to be able to see an example of ways that they can participate and succeed.” - Dr. Jessica Watkins First Black Woman to Join Space Station Crew [Valencia W.]

Celebrating International Women’s Day #pccwomensday2022. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)was a writer, philosopher, and advocate of women’s rights, she died giving birth to her daughter Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein,or , The Modern Prometheus(1818). Mary W. Shelley married the great Romantic poet Percy Byssshe Shelley(1816-1822) who drowned in a boating accident. [Flora Georgiou]

Happy to have realized a print based off a photograph I have long loved of my strong and loving grandmother Hava, taken in Aden,Yemen ~1949. HAVA B’ADEN [Gali Katz]

Angela Davis is best known as a radical African American educator and activist for civil rights and other social issues. She was born on January 26, 1944, in Birmingham. The second wave of feminism is the name of the second phase of organized feminism or the women's movement. It spread from the United States to the rest of the Western world and even, to a lesser extent, to other parts of the world during the 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the 1968 movement. She was an ikon for me and friends even in Sweden in the 70th We followed every step.I painted her portraits and curled my hair like Angela…. DigitalCollage with Foto of me 1975. [Ulla Strandberg]

Alle donne che hanno portato e portano i grandi pesi del mondo. [Francesca Artoni]