Light & Life Academy Celebrates International Women's Day 2024 with Woke Insta Campaign!

As the world geared up to commemorate International Women's Day 2024, Light & Life Academy (LLA) took a unique approach to celebrate the occasion. Instead of traditional methods, they launched an Instagram campaign dedicated to honouring the remarkable women who enrich our daily lives.

The campaign titled Everyday Icons - Women Through The Lens, aims to shine a spotlight on the diverse narratives of the extraordinary women who contribute to the fabric of our institution and society at large through their resilience, strength, compassion and unwavering spirit.

Choosing Instagram as the medium for the photography contest was a strategic move due to its capacity for visual storytelling. Running from February 15 to February 29, 2024, participants were invited to capture the essence of the remarkable women in their lives. From the quiet strength of a mother to the resilience of a friend, from the smile of their household help to the cheerfulness of the local vegetable vendor, contestants were encouraged to share the visual representation of these women.

The response was overwhelming, with the academy receiving over 700 entries over the two week period. Each photograph weaved a story that was not only heartwarming but also beautiful. Entries poured in from participants across different parts of the country, portraying women from diverse backgrounds, making this contest a plethora of wonderful photographs—a perfect tribute to women nationwide.

Out of the 700 entries, 50 will be shortlisted to be exhibited at the LLA campus and on their website from March 8 to April 8, 2024. As a photography college, the criteria for selecting the shortlisted entries laid on strong composition and good lighting. Additionally, they prioritised images where women actively engaged with the camera, demonstrating a strong connection between the subject and the photographer.

Anuradha Iqbal, co-founder of LLA, expressed her delight at the fantastic response stating, “It is incredibly heartening to see the immense number of submissions and the remarkable quality of the images. This serves as a testament to the fact that every woman is an inspiration in her own right. In numerous ways, they contribute to making our lives happier, more enjoyable, and fundamentally possible."

Renowned photographer and the founder of LLA, Iqbal Mohamed, emphasised the importance of honouring the women within the institution and the broader community saying, "What could we ever hope to accomplish without the women in our lives? Even Light & Life Academy wouldn't function for a single day without our incredible team of women."

To view all the contest photographs, visit LLA’s Instagram handle @lightandlifeacademy or search for the hashtag #llawomensday2024. Additionally, you can view the exhibition of the selected images on the website, www.llacademy.org.