# Women-Empowering Photography Lensational Offers Workshops to Struggling Women in Developing States By Cadhla Gray | Published 2015-10-07 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/womenempowering References: [mashable](http://mashable.com/2015/10/04/lensational/?utm_campaign=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-SocialGood-Partial&utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-SocialGood-Partial&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedly) & [lensational.org](http://lensational.org/) Lensational is a women-empowering social enterprise that is three fold: it provides marginalized women with a chance to develop a skill, connects them locally and across the world and gives them a way to tell their stories through photography. All that and the program is impressively eco-friendly, using recycled and reused old point-and-shoot cameras that are often replaced with smartphones and DSLRs. The program was started by Bonnie Chiu on International Women's Day in 2013 using a simple Facebook page. Shortly after, an NGO in Hong Kong sponsored its first project which provided a photography workshop for foreign domestic workers. The program was extended to China, Bangladesh and Pakistan -- locations all selected based on large gender inequality gaps. The women-empowering program uses therapeutic photography to help these people gain personal skills, confidence and break through social isolation. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.3/10 - Popularity: 44% | Activity: 17% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Education](https://www.trendhunter.com/education) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Therapeutic Photography:** Exploring the use of photography for therapeutic purposes, including personal growth, healing, and self-expression - **Eco-friendly Photography:** Adopting eco-friendly practices in photography production, such as using recycled or sustainable materials - **Women Empowerment Programs:** Creating more programs that support marginalized women in developing countries to gain skills and tell their stories through various mediums ### Sectors Adopting This - **Social Enterprises:** Developing and scaling social enterprises in partnership with NGOs to address gender inequalities and support marginalized communities - **Mental Health:** Exploring how therapeutic photography can be incorporated into mental health practices and programming for marginalized communities - **Sustainability:** Creating innovative sustainable practices within the photography industry to be more eco-friendly and reduce carbon footprints while also empowering women ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Empowering Women Entrepreneur Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/women-entrepreneur.md) - [Branded Women's Empowerment Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/branded-womens-empowerment.md) - [Empowerment-Focused Holiday Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olivela.md) - [Women-Empowering Work Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/workforce-challenges.md) - [Global Inclusive Retail Initaitives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/women-led-wednesday.md) - [Women-Focused NFT Residencies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nft-residency.md) - [Empowering Women's Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/prettypowerful.md) - [Gender Gap-Addressing Education Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/girls-education1.md) - [Artist-Backed Women Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ramona-pintea.md)