My body belongs to me.
Master’s Thesis on women
and photography

My Body Belongs to Me is a Master’s thesis in information design that explores the intersection of photography, gender representation, and the power dynamics of the gaze. The project critically examines how women have been historically portrayed through photography, and how they have increasingly reclaimed this medium to challenge and redefine their visual identity.

At the heart of this research is a central question: Who represents women, for whom, and how?

Through a feminist lens, the thesis traces a dual trajectory: first, the emergence of women photographers and their contributions to both documentary and artistic practices; second, the role of photography in feminist and feminine struggles, particularly as a tool for empowerment, critique, and visibility.

The second part focuses on fashion photography, interrogating the construction of visual norms and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes. This analysis highlights how the fashion industry shapes dominant representations of femininity and how women artists challenge these narratives through self-portraiture and subversive practices.

The thesis concludes with a comparative study of women who use photography both to take control of their image and to question their place in society. An oral defense further enriched the work, including case studies of non-Western women photographers, whose diverse positions illuminate additional layers of cultural and political complexity.