Creative Initiatives Made By Women, For Women
A collection of communities, databases, and websites created to empower female artists, designers, and developers.
Following the election of President Trump, women across the world mobilized against a new leader who has been repeatedly accused of sexual assault and a regime whose campaign promises included overturning Roe v. Wade. “A lot of women didn’t think we had to worry about things like our reproductive rights, but here we are, and it turns out we do,” For All Womankind founder Deva Pardue told Magenta shortly after she launched the design initiative, which donates all of its proceeds to Emily’s List and The Center for Reproductive Rights.
Like Pardue, many women have focused their efforts on building communities that empower females in creative fields, using beautiful design, strong networks, and programming that connects women to potential employers and collaborators. And while our political climate alone is arguably enough to initiate change, AIGA’s recent design census— whose 9,500 participants showed an average $10,000 pay gap between male and female designers and a lack of females in senior positions—is more proof of the continuous need to increase the visibility of female designers and artists.
To honor International Women’s Day, Magenta gathered some of our favorite creative initiatives intended to empower females working in art and design.
Visit: Women Who Draw
What: After noticing an alarming lack of female illustrators in her favorite magazines, illustrator Julia Rothman teamed up with her friend and fellow artist Wendy MacNaughton to increase the visibility of females in the industry. The two created Women Who Draw — a database of illustrators, artists, and cartoonists that has grown to include over 2,700 female artists since it launched in December 2016.
Who: Julia Rothman, one of the illustrators behind Ladies Drawing Night has worked with The New York Times, Crate and Barrel, and Chronicle Books, among others. Rothman’s cofounder, Wendy MacNaughton is an illustrator, graphic novelist, and author of books like Meanwhile in San Francisco and Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology.
Visit: Women Photograph
What: Launched in February in the same vein as Women Who Draw, Women Photograph is a visually-engaging database of female photographers for hire. Each photographer featured on the site has at least five years experience and is actively looking for freelance opportunities.
Who: The site’s founder, Daniella Zalcman, is a documentary photographer whose work is regularly featured in The Wall Street Journal, Mashable, National Geographic, and CNN.
Visit: Women Who
What: This London-based community initiative brings together women working in creative fields through monthly events and interviews that spotlights its members. True to its mission to support and inspire working women, Women Who’s first book, Little Black Book: A Toolkit for Women is full of advice about topics ranging from overcoming creative block to negotiating a pay raise.
Who: Founder Otegha Uwagba is a writer and brand consultant who worked with Vice Media and advertising agency BBDO before creating Women Who.
Visit: Girl Develop It
What: With over 55,000 members across 56 cities globally, Girl Develop It is a nonprofit that offers affordable web and software development training to women of all backgrounds.
Who: Corinne Warnshuis, Vanessa Hurst, LaVonna Ricketts, and Bindu Jallabah make up the core Girl Develop It team.
Visit: For All Womankind
What: All of the proceeds raised through For All Womankind’s sale of beautifully-designed posters, pins, and T-shirts are donated to Emily’s List and The Center For Reproductive Rights.
Who: Former Pentagram designer Deva Pardue is the singular force behind this initiative.
Visit: Bird
What: Beautifully-photographed interviews that feature the stories of women based in New York and Los Angeles. Bird showcases women working in creative and non-creative fields, offering an honest look at how they live by photographing them in their homes or offices.
Who: Bird is led by its two founders, Los Angeles-based designer Magdalena Wielopolski and New York-based photographer Stephanie Geddes.
Visit: Gurl Museum Day
What: Established in 2016, GMD began with a few friends exploring Los Angeles museums and has since expanded to include a digital magazine that features the stories of female artists.
Who: GMD founder Diane Lindquist is an Los Angeles-based award winning designer.
