It’s been a little while, but we’re back—and bursting with stories to share!

It’s been a while! We last posted on this blog in 2023—but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy. Quite the opposite! At femLENS, we’ve spent the past yearс deepening our work, amplifying more women’s voices, and growing our global network of grassroots storytellers. We’ve completed major international projects, published new editions of We See magazine, led documentary photography workshops, and welcomed new collaborators to our growing community.

So, what’s been happening behind the scenes? Here’s a look.

AGENCY: VOTE WITH HER – Mobilising Voices Ahead of EU Elections

One of the most powerful projects we recently wrapped up was AGENCY: VOTE WITH HER (2023–2024), co-funded by the EU and coordinated by the European Network of Migrant Women (ENoMW). femLENS joined a wide network of national and local organisations across 14 EU countries, including partners like AkiDwA (Ireland), MONIKA (Finland), and Iroko (Italy).

AGENCY aimed to increase political participation among women with migrant backgrounds in the context of the 2024 European Parliament elections. From May to November 2023, more than 50 women took part in in-depth online and in-person training sessions covering EU institutions, advocacy, campaigning—and a key component: photovoice, combined with documentary photography.

In early 2024, participants launched their own visual campaigns in their local communities, using photography to communicate political concerns, social injustices, and messages of empowerment. The outcomes were bold, personal, and visually impactful—offering alternative narratives that counter mainstream stereotypes and raise awareness about the lived experiences of migrant women across Europe.

femLENS’ contribution to this project highlighted the transformative power of visual storytelling—as both a personal and political tool—and reaffirmed our belief in centring women’s voices in movements for social change.

Take pART!: Art, Therapy & Activism in Action

We’re also a proud partner in Take pART!, an ongoing EU co-funded project (2023–2025) connecting seven partners across Europe. The project fuses art, therapy, and activism to empower young people and promote gender equality through non-formal education.

femLENS leads the work on gender-sensitive artivism, communications, and dissemination. Our role includes:

  • Developing and designing the Artivism Toolkit and Art Therapy Booklet,

  • Hosting and facilitating peer-to-peer sessions on gender, creativity and artivism,

  • Coordinating visibility and campaign implementation,

  • Organising workshops with youth in Estonia, and

  • Hosting an artivistic residency in Narva in 2024.

We also travelled to Martinique, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, and Spain to observe and contribute to partner-led residencies, where we helped test and refine participatory art methodologies.

All materials—toolkits, maps, and more—are freely available on the project website, encouraging creative action for gender justice.

Welens: Fighting Gender-Based Violence with Visual Storytelling

Welens, another EU co-funded initiative (2023–2025), brings together partners from Italy, Argentina, France, Guyana, Estonia, and more, to confront gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual exploitation through education and communication.

femLENS contributes by:

  • Co-designing the communication campaign,

  • Designing educational materials,

  • Creating four special editions of We See magazine centred on GBV themes,

  • Building a video testimony library featuring survivor stories for educational use.

We’ve already published two issues of We See, travelled for project development in France and Italy, and are now preparing the upcoming 11th issue.

Workshops, New Collaborators & Global Stories

Since our last blog update, we’ve also:

  • Conducted new online workshops with Afghan women,

  • Facilitated documentary photography workshops with women living in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon,

  • Welcomed two new collaborators to our core team:

    • Erica Belli – Italian photographer, researcher, and photovoice facilitator

    • Ghinwa Daher – Lebanese freelance photographer and videographer, based in Spain

Their expertise further strengthens our capacity to expand our reach and refine our methods for documenting underrepresented voices.

What’s Coming to the Blog?

As we revive this space, we want it to reflect the heart of what femLENS does—community-centred visual storytelling, gender education, and creative activism.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Project Updates – Get insights into what we’re working on, who we’re working with, and where our work is taking us. From new workshops to international residencies, we’ll keep you in the loop.

  • Content from We See Magazine – We’ll share selected visuals, excerpts, and behind-the-scenes reflections from each new issue—why we chose certain stories, what themes we’re exploring, and what we learned in the process.

  • Visual Storytelling Tips – Short and practical posts about documentary photography, photovoice techniques, and how to start telling your own story through images—even with just a phone.

  • Toolkit Spotlights – Highlights and quick guides from the Artivism Toolkit, Art Therapy Booklet, and other resources we’ve co-created. We’ll break down how you can use them in your own community or classroom.

  • Creative Prompts & Challenges – Simple photography or reflection prompts based on current events, themes from our workshops, or ideas from our toolkits—designed to get people creating and sharing.

  • Community Voices – When possible, we’ll feature quotes and short reflections from participants, contributors, and readers (with their consent), to celebrate the people behind the stories.

We want the blog to become a practical, inspiring space—not just for updates, but for exchange, encouragement, and learning.

Let’s Keep Creating Together

Want to Get Involved? We’re excited to bring new life to this space and to share more of what femLENS is building alongside communities across Europe and beyond.

If you’re inspired by our work and want to support it, there are many ways to get involved:

  • Organise a local exhibition or screening of femLENS stories

  • Share our toolkits, zines, or magazine with your network or community groups

  • Distribute copies of We See magazine in your local library, organisation, school, or workplace

  • Help us reach more people by spreading the word about our resources

  • Or just reach out to say hello and tell us what you’d like to see on the blog!

Get in touch —we’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for being here with us.

With warmth,
—The femLENS team