“Female Gaze” Key To Women Making More High-Budget Ads in ‘Masculine’ Categories

85% of consumer decisions are made by women, yet only 8% of advertising campaigns are shot by female photographers– determining who shapes the stories we see, whose perspectives define narratives, and why the female gaze matters.

For Cybele Malinowski and Angela Liang, co-founders of Agender, this glaring imbalance isn’t just a statistic, but a call to action.

“Agender is a Gender Lens Studio committed to transforming the landscape of photography, advertising, and film,” Cybele says. “We operate from a female-focused perspective, going beyond surface-level diversity to dismantle deeply ingrained stereotypes and empower authentic female representation.

“If you have men shooting these campaigns and creative directing them, it’s a male’s interpretation of a woman.”

As they prepare for their Sydney-based exhibition, The Lipstick Effect (alongside exhibition curator Liz Ham), Cybele and Angela are pushing beyond tokenism to redefine what it means to see – and be seen – through the female gaze.

Agender, founded in 2018, emerged from Cybele’s experience at a photography event where she found herself in a sea of grey-haired men.

“There were maybe three other women in the room, and we were all marketing for a camera brand,” she recalls.

This moment sparked a deeper investigation into the industry’s gender imbalance, revealing stark statistics. According to Agender, while 75% of photography graduates are women, only 8% of commercial campaigns are shot by female photographers.

“We started digging into the numbers and realised there was nothing in Australia addressing these inequities,” Angela says.

“Even when women are given opportunities, they’re often funnelled into ‘softer’ genres like beauty and wellness, while high-budget campaigns in automotive, tech, and finance remain a boys’ club.”

Cybele adds, “Production is an industry built on networks, and when those networks have been historically male-dominated, the cycle continues.

And the challenges don’t stop at hiring, with equipment designed for men perpetuating gendered perceptions of risk, and a lack of support for mothers in the industry further compounding the issue.

“I was back working within three weeks of having my first two children because I didn’t want to be perceived as ‘just a mum’,” Cybele says.

“But when I was pregnant, I lost a major job in the States because the client ghosted me after finding out. That’s when I realised how real this problem is.”

For Angela and Cybele, Agender isn’t just about getting more women behind the lens – it’s about reshaping narratives.

“The female gaze isn’t just about who’s holding the camera,” says Angela. “It’s about who’s shaping the story, who’s making the decisions, and how women are represented in the final product.”

Through initiatives like The Lipstick Effect, Agender is creating spaces for female-identifying artists to showcase their work and challenging the industry to rethink its hiring practices.

The exhibition, part of the All About Women Festival, features powerful, femme-lensed photography that challenges viewers to reconsider how women are seen and how they see themselves.

“We’re not just preaching to the choir,” says Cybele. “We want to reach the people who haven’t thought about this before, who might walk past and suddenly see the world through a different lens.”

Gender inequality isn’t unique to photography, and women in production and post-production face similar barriers in shaping creative narratives.

CJ Dobson, head of colour and founder of Moodlab, emphasises that diverse teams not only enhance individual projects but also play a crucial role in shaping a more inclusive and equitable industry culture.

“Having a diverse team with varying perspectives and experiences is beneficial for any project,” says CJ.

“But its impact is often most significant in shaping future work and industry culture. I’ve been in colour grading sessions where senior creatives – male – have made sexist remarks about women. Because I was present in the room, the comments were challenged. The more balanced and diverse our teams are, the better equipped we are to recognise and challenge discriminatory ideas or attitudes before they shape the work we put out into the world.”

As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives face backlash and roll-backs in the US, Cybele and Angela see an opportunity for Australia to lead.

“We have the chance to double down on diversity and show the world what’s possible,” Angela says. “But it’s going to take more than just talk – it’s going to take action.”

“Progress isn’t linear,” Cybele adds. “What’s happening in the US proves that rights – whether for women, people of colour, or any marginalised group – are never guaranteed.

“The female gaze isn’t just an aesthetic – it’s a revolution. And it’s one we can’t afford to ignore.”

As Agender continues to push for change, its work serves as a reminder that equality isn’t just about who’s on camera, but also who’s behind it.

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