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There are now 265 women MPs. This represents 40% of the total seats in Parliament. - This is a fantastic achievement!

About The 40% Project

The 40% Project is a national portrait series by the Royal Photographic Society Women in Photography Group, created to mark a historic moment in UK democracy.

Following the 2024 General Election, women now make up around 40% of Members of Parliament — the highest level of representation in British parliamentary history. To record this milestone, women photographers from across the UK have come together to photograph the women shaping Parliament today.

Through portrait photography, the project celebrates the individuality, leadership and contribution of women MPs, while also recognising the important role photography plays in documenting social change.

Welcome — this page brings together the project background, current progress, online gallery, photographer information and Kickstarter campaign for the forthcoming book.

Project progress

The project has brought together photographers from across the UK, including RPS members, students, emerging photographers and established professionals.

All 265 women MPs have now been paired with photographers, and the project is nearing completion, with portraits created in Westminster, constituencies, community spaces, workplaces and locations personally chosen by the MPs.

Together, these portraits form a unique visual archive of women in Parliament today — a record of representation, visibility and collaboration.

Liz Saville Roberts MP photographed by Rae Seaman

Liz Saville Roberts MP © Rae Seaman

View the 40% Gallery

The online gallery brings together portraits submitted so far, alongside the stories of the MPs and the photographers who created them.

View the Gallery

Alex Baker MP photographed by Wendy G Davis

Alex Baker MP © Wendy G Davis

Support the Book

We are working with Image & Reality to bring The 40% Project together as a beautiful photobook.

Visit the Kickstarter page and click “Notify me on launch” to be alerted when the campaign goes live.

Follow the Kickstarter

Helen Morgan MP photographed by Geraldine Curtis

Helen Morgan MP © Geraldine Curtis

Photographers’ Information

Photographers taking part in The 40% Project can find submission guidance, licensing information, model release forms and useful project resources here.

Visit the Photographers’ Page

Why the project matters

For much of Parliament’s history, women’s voices and presence were absent from the chamber. The 40% Project marks a moment of progress — not simply as a statistic, but as a cultural and historical milestone.

Portraiture has long been used to record those who shape our society. By creating this collective body of work, The 40% Project ensures that this moment in political history is seen, remembered and preserved.

This is a non-political project. Its purpose is to create a visual record of women in Parliament at a significant moment in UK history, photographed by women.

Press, features and enquiries

The 40% Project has already attracted interest from photography magazines and press features, helping to share the project with wider audiences.

For press enquiries, project information or questions about The 40% Project, please contact:

Sue Wright
Chair, RPS Women in Photography Group
wipchair@rps.org