Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award 2020 is open for submissions

The awards aim to celebrate female photographers and "highlight the positive power of photojournalism to reveal and explore the most important issues facing our people and planet," according to organisers. The FotoAward is designed to recognise women documentary photographers working on projects that look to bring about real change around under-reported contemporary issues.

Each year £2,000 is given towards a woman to help her complete an in-progress documentary photo essay. It's free to submit your work, and women over 18 from anywhere in the world and at any stage of their careers are welcome to apply. Although they must already have started the photo essay for which they are seeking funding and be able to show work in progress; as well as having completed at least one other documentary photo essay to demonstrate their abilities in the field. Submissions close on 22 May 2020.

The judges are looking for photo essays that are "compelling and cohesive" and which address "an important social, environmental, economic or cultural issue, whether local or global." Organisers add, "The work should, in part, showcase positive solutions to any issues it raises to contribute to constructive photojournalism, in line with the wishes of Marilyn Stafford and the aims of FotoDocument. The Award is reserved solely for documentary photographers working on projects which are intended to make the world a better place and which may be unreported/under-reported."

Now in its fourth year, the Award has previously won by photojournalists such as Anna Filipova (2019), Özge Sebzeci (2018) and Rebecca Conway (2017).

US-born, UK-based photographer Marilyn Stafford set up the FotoAward in 2017 to help support a new generation of women in photojournalism. Stafford, who learned her craft under Henri Cartier-Bresson, became prominent in the field thanks to her work documenting Algerian refugees in Tunisia making the front page of The Observer in 1958, bringing their plight to the attention of the world. Now based in West Sussex, she is also known for her projects showing Albert Einstein and Indira Gandhi; as well as documentation of Parisian and London street scenes in the 1950s and 1960s.

Submissions are reviewed by an international panel including photojournalist and educator Donna De Cesare; Nina Emett, documentary photographer and director of FotoDocument; documentary photographer and educator Melanie Friend; Nikon PR and social media manager Rebecca Newton; award-winning photojournalist Neo Ntsoma, Marilyn Stafford and her daughter Lina Clerke.

More information on applying can be found at fotodocument.org.