Hannah Starkey: Principled & Revolutionary, Northern Ireland’s Peace Women: Ulster Museum, Belfast, Ireland

This year marks 25 years since the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. Ulster Museum has partnered with Belfast Photo Festival to present their newly commissioned body of work by renowned photographer Hannah Starkey. This project honours and celebrates the women who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland.

Research has demonstrated that women’s participation in peace processes results in more durable and stable peace. Analysis of 40 peace processes since the end of the Cold War shows that, in cases where women were able to exercise a strong influence on the negotiation process, there was a much higher chance that an agreement would be reached.

Starkey’s artwork aims to ignite a conversation about the impact and importance of women’s leadership, not just here, but globally. The 21 portraits in this exhibition highlight some of the many women who have been pivotal to peace building and community activism in this country through their work in the political, cultural and social spheres. Through exploring these—too often untold—stories, we hope to shine a light on the legacies and impact of women’s activism here and to inspire younger generations of women to make their voices heard.

Hannah Starkey (Belfast, born 1971) is a world-renowned photographer who has dedicated her entire career to depicting the lives of women, including her work in recent years on women activists across the globe. Her work is held in the collections of Tate, Ulster Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum and Irish Museum of Modern Art among others