University of Buckingham student combats the gender gap in sports photography

22 July 2019

Final-year Journalism and Communications student, Sophia Rooke, has launched a ‘Women of Sports Photography’ group in order to combat the lack of representation and opportunities for female sports photographers. Her initiative hopes to encourage more women to enter the industry.

Women of Sports Photography, or WOSP, is backed by the Chartered Institute of Journalists (CIoJ), the most senior body for journalists in the UK.

Sophia Rooke

WOSP aims to create a social media platform where women interested in sports photography can share ideas and organise networking events.

Sophia has arranged a free seminar which will welcome guest speakers in the sports photography field and an array of sponsors to share their own experiences within the industry.

She said: “It would be incredible for people to just have access to a community of like-minded others, particularly in a field in which other women are difficult to come by. This is not a feminist movement or anti-male campaign but simply an initiative to develop contacts and opportunities.

The University has been incredibly helpful in supporting me through this, particularly my lecturer Andrew Kelly, who contacted Cioj and the press and gained interest for the conference. It is such a great environment to access all the resources you need because the lecturers and other staff care about everything we do and ensure our futures are exciting and bright.”