1. Introduction
The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network is a regional civil society coalition comprising grassroots women’s rights organizations from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan snd Uganda. SIHA aims to contribute to unlocking the massive potential of women’s rights movements in the Horn of Africa by improving the capacity of local organizations and building a strong network of grassroots civil society members that can interact and support one another in advocating for effective change.
2. Background of the Assignment
To strengthen its regional advocacy and communications efforts, SIHA is seeking female photographers from its countries of operation namely Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda to submit original photographs that align with SIHA’s six thematic areas.
Consequently, this call invites powerful, culturally grounded visual interpretations that convey the human stories, struggles, and resilience at the heart of SIHA’s core programmatic priorities, notably:
- Combating Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
- Advancing Women’s Peace and Security (WPS) and enabling women’s agency, leadership, and political participation
- Strengthening social protection and economic justice
- Protecting women and girls who are displaced, living in conflict zones, or are migrant workers
- Promoting women’s human rights and enhancing access to justice
- Enhancing diversity and inclusivity among women through movement building
Selected works should be authentic, ethically produced, and context-sensitive; reflecting feminist values, cultural specificity, and local realities and will be used to support SIHA’s regional communications, advocacy, and public engagement across digital and physical platforms.
The winning photos in each thematic area per country will be awarded USD 150 each, and SIHA will retain exclusive rights to use the awarded photos for advocacy, communication, and documentation purposes.
3. Objectives of the Consultancy
This assignment aims to:
- Facilitate female photographers across SIHA’s operational countries to engage with feminist and human rights themes.
- Capture diverse perspectives and realities that reflect women’s agency, resilience, and leadership in the region through photograhy.
- Build a collection of high-quality, ethical, and contextually grounded visual materials to support SIHA’s regional advocacy and storytelling efforts.
- Foster collaboration between photographers, activists, and communities to produce images rooted in authenticity women and girls’ dignity.
4. Submission Guidelines and Scope
Interested female contestants are required to:
- Submit a total of six (6) photographs, each representing one of SIHA’s six thematic areas.
- Ensure all photos are original, high-quality, and ethically captured, with informed consent obtained from all subjects.
- Include brief captions and a short narrative description (maximum 100 words) explaining the context and relevance of each photo.
- Provide images in high-resolution digital format (JPEG or PNG) suitable for both print and digital use.
- Ensure the images reflect SIHA’s feminist principles, uphold the dignity of subjects, and align with SIHA’s branding and communications standards.
5. Selection and Awards
- Submissions will be reviewed by a team composed of SIHA communications and projects representatives.
- Selection will be based on creativity, relevance to thematic areas, ethical presentation, and visual impact.
- The winning photos in each thematic area per country will receive an award of USD 150 each.
- Once awarded, SIHA will have exclusive rights to the winning photographs, including their use in SIHA’s publications, campaigns, and other media platforms, with due credit to the photographer.
6. Eligibility Criteria
This competition is open to photographers and visual storytellers residing in SIHA’s countries of operation notably: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
We welcome submissions from both expert and aspiring professional photographers. These must thoughtfully reflect sensitivity to gender, human rights, and feminist narratives.
7. Required Competency
Interested entrants must meet the following criteria:
Professional Experience
- Minimum of 3–5 years of professional experience in photography, with a strong portfolio in development, human rights, or humanitarian work.
- Proven experience working with NGOs, CSOs, and feminist organisations on similar assignments.
- Demonstrated capacity to work independently and adapt to diverse socio-political environments.
Technical Competence
- Proficiency in digital photography using professional equipment.
- Advanced skills in photo editing and curation (Lightroom, Photoshop, or similar).
- Ability to provide high-resolution, captioned, publication-quality images.
Thematic Sensitivity & Storytelling
- Experience capturing themes related to gender justice, women’s rights, civic engagement, and marginalized communities.
- Ability to translate programmatic impact into strong visual narratives.
- Previous participation in co-creation or participatory media sessions is a plus.
Cultural and Contextual Understanding
- Deep familiarity with the local context and sensitivity to cultural, gender, and socio-political dynamics.
- Fluency in English and relevant local languages is essential.
- Respects ethical standards for informed consent, especially when photographing women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
Collaboration and Process
- Willingness to participate in planning and co-creation sessions with SIHA country teams and local partners.
- Able to align with SIHA’s feminist and rights-based narrative frameworks.
- Open to feedback and collaborative story editing and selection.
8. Duration and Timeline
The photo competition will run from 10th November to 30th November 2025
Award announcements will take place in the second week of December 2025
9. Application Process
Interested participants should submit their entries through the following link https://airtable.com/appHNyMhgTH7cHVt3/shrcp3zXx3K9sjnVp
by 28th November 2025, 11:59 PM (EAT)
Each submission should include:
- Six (6) photographs (one per thematic area).
- A short narrative (maximum 100 words per photo) explaining the story behind each image.
- The photographer’s full name, contact details, and country of residence.
Due to the anticipated volume of submissions, only shortlisted contenstants will be contacted.