‘Girls Fight’ Shines a Light on the Lives of Professional Female Fighters

Girls Fight is a project about gender equality in sports. Or rather inequality. By shining a light on the world of female professional fighting.

In a series of photography and video portraits featuring fighters across Europe, Girls Fight was conceptualised and created by the Amsterdam Worldwide Group and photographed and filmed by renowned photographer Vitali Gelwich.

CEO Brian Elliott says, “This is the beginning of a long-term project to support women athletes. There are no women athletes listed in the Forbes top 100 best paid list. This is symbolic of a much bigger issue. Companies and brands have to wake up to the fact that they need to commit to women in a substantial and sustainable way. This content is designed to raise awareness for this problem. We want to provoke a more serious reflection on gender inequality in sport. And how action is needed now. ‘Girls Fight’ was always that throwaway expression used to hint at really not very serious kind of fight. But today girls fight. They always have. And we set out to tell that story.”

By telling the stories of a diverse selection of young women - girls who fight - the agency wanted to capture the lives of these authentic athletes. They dedicate their lives to their chosen sport, for little or no reward, except for their love of the fight.

The team has produced an honest photographic and video journey into their lives - from their bedrooms and living rooms. Between daily training and weekly competitions, these women coach kids, wait tables in restaurants, or work in supermarkets to finance their professional careers. In 2017, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather received around $600 million for winning a fight against UFC superstar Conor McGregor. In comparison, Christy Martin, one of the most successful women boxers of all time, made between $75 to 200 thousand per fight, at the peak of her career.

Most female fighters will never even get close to that kind of money. Instead, they work night shifts at the bar before they put on the gloves in the morning.

To tell their stories, the agency partnered with photographer Vitali Gelwich and met the very best of these women outside the ring, portraying them in their most personal surroundings: their apartments, in front of Ikea shelves stacked with trophies and championship belts. Out came a series of compelling snapshots about female empowerment to ignite a social dialogue about gender inequality.

Amsterdam Worldwide selected eleven fighters and produced ten short films, a series of photos and Instagram trailers revealing an intimate view into their private lives. The athletes come from Romania, Spain, UK and Germany.

The creative campaign will be launched via two launch events held in Berlin and Amsterdam through gallery exhibitions, as well as with a first exclusive in Zeit magazine. The photography will be displayed as large fine art prints accompanied by ten videos. 

The series will also be released on Amsterdam Worldwide Group channels, cross publishing and media partnerships and through a wide range of pop-culture influencers on Instagram with a launch date in mid July 2018.