The CGAP (The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) hosts an annual contest to photographers across the world, in hopes of documenting examples where their efforts in expanding global financial inclusion has proven beneficial. The organization works to develop “innovative solutions” in turn helping expand the financial services need to help the impoverished people of the world.
The CEO of CGAP, Greta Bull, explains “The Photo Contest enables us to show in a very visual way the resilience and challenges facing the working poor. It puts a face on financial inclusion and the work we do.”
This year’s photo contest required its submissions to touch upon the four following themes: digital financial services and mobile banking, women‘s use of financial services, microfinance for small business enterprises, and smallholder farmers and their families.
CGAP boasts an impressive submission of 3,300 entries from professional and amateur photographers in 77 countries. After much consideration, the judges; Jeena Jayaswal, Director of Photography Program and Associate Professor at American University’s School of Communication in Washington, D.C., Nicole Crowder, Photo Editor for The Washington Post’s photography blog, In Sight, and Corinne Dufka, Associate Director at Human Rights Watch and an award-winning photographer, selected the winner and finalists.
The grand prize winner for 2015 was Sujan Sarkar from India with “Paddy Cultivation” (above) which reveals the labor intensive work behind rice, the staple food in West Bengal, India.
Judge Corinne Dufka said of the winning image, “The picture brings so much beauty to the act of farming, which others might say is dirty or uncomfortable. The composition is stunning. Every inch of the picture says something and contributes to the global theme.”
The other finalists created seriously incredible and just as thought-provoking as Sarkar’s.
To find out more information about CGAP or the photo contest check out the organization’s website.
Like this article? Check out this years winners of the Landscape Photographer of the Year award, or other socially conscious art projects.
