“Celebrating Women” Karen Brodie captures San Pedro women’s stories

On March 8th, women across all nations celebrated “International Women’s Day”, which is universally recognized for contributing to the cultural, social, political, and economical achievements of females. Not only is the 8th specially dedicated to our women, but the entire month is observed as “Women’s Month”.

The San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC) and National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) promoted female empowerment in recognition of “Women’s Month”, by exhibiting a photo collection entitled “Celebrating Women” arranged by Canadian professional photographer, Karen Brodie. The initial launch was on Thursday, March 10th and will continue running until the end of this month.

There was much anticipation for the showcase, and guests were greeted with hospitality and tunes from a mellow band while Director of the House of Culture, Guillermo ‘Mito’ Paz gave an introduction, attributing to the positive message behind Brodie’s photographs. “I think Karen brings a different sense and character to her photographs. We dedicate this exhibition to acknowledge the different accomplishments of the women in San Pedro. Some of them are young, and the oldest was a hundred and one years old and recently passed away. Women here are involved in an array of trades, from education, being business owners, tourism, culture, and other kinds of fields,” said Paz.

The showcase revealed sixty-two portraits of unique women here in San Pedro. Brodie explained how the process of selecting these photos proved challenging. “It was finding the right sixty-two portraits. And those portraits each had to say something, had to tell a story. And each story needed to add to the larger story of the women of San Pedro and their influences and contributions to the island community,” explained Karen.

Karen has been photographing women all over the Caribbean and Central America. When she moved to Ambergris Caye, to keep her self-entertained, she began a long-term project archiving the elderly women of San Pedro. In her quest of finding more opportunities to photograph, she became involved in more cultural activities and pageants. “I marvel at the strength of the women in this community. Whether they are young or old, there is a balance between all of us. We all suffer hardship, we all overcome hardship,” said the esteemed photographer.

But what sets out the San Pedrana’s apart from all the other females around the world? Brodie’s two-year project of capturing women became prominent in one thing: being confident. “When you look into their eyes, there is still a softness and grace, even if there might be a little attitude.”

“Being a woman who has been through many challenges in my life, I fear losing resilience and what I see in these women is resilience. As a photographer, I seem to be to really fascinated with people, whether it is women, children or men. When I am behind the camera there is some kind of a human connection that I make with people and I am always honored to take somebody’s photo,” ended Brodie.

The SPHC will be hosting the photo exhibition throughout the end of the month. We extend a special thank you on Karen Brodie’s behalf to all the sponsors who made this event possible.