Across 2023 I photographed 35 women aged round about fifty. I wanted to create portraits that reflected what it is like to be this age in the UK today. When I turned fifty myself, I saw few images of women my age that I could relate to, or be inspired by. And yet, this cohort of women are achieving so much worth celebrating. They are often caring for both the younger and the older generation, while holding positions of considerable responsibility at work. Why are they largely invisible from public discourse and life?
So, in late 2022, I put out a call for women aged round about fifty to be photographed, and I was overwhelmed by volunteers who also wanted to make women like themselves more visible. They felt that this was a way to do something about it.
What do we not see?
I was curious: when society largely ignores a cohort of people, what are they missing and does it matter? Women who do not see themselves represented in the visual culture can feel alienated. It is like nobody understands their concerns and priorities. Even though these women are making huge contributions to society, their effort is often unrecognised and under-celebrated.
A new-found confidence
While some women feel unnoticed, others told me that they feel more comfortable in their own skin than they did when they were younger. They find the lack of societal expectation liberating. This made them brilliant subjects for my camera. They said that after all these years they have learnt to accept themselves for who they are and it is quite a relief. I think that is visible in the portraits.
Lots of expertise
The women who I met were very experienced in what they do and have a lot to offer. As one sitter put it “When you reach this age, you have seen most things before and you can say ‘I’ve got this. I know what to do.’” Why is this wisdom and expertise so often dismissed?
Lingering discrimination
There has been lots of progress over recent decades in terms of gender equality, but women are still overlooked. The people I met wonder whether this is also because of their age. One woman talked about how awkward she finds promoting herself even though she is an expert in her field:“Sometimes we neglect being our own cheerleaders”. There are many social forces at play.
Feeling overwhelmed
Fifty something women are often shouldering the double burden of care for teenage children and ageing parents. They have to compartmentalise their work and their home lives and may feel like they are only just managing. This can turn up a whole range of different emotions but as one woman put it “I think it’s easy to feel lost at this stage of life because you are looking after everyone else. I feel like I need to burrow out and be myself.”
On a threshold
In spite of being overwhelmed, I often heard how this age feels like an important transition into a new life stage. It’s a time to find new challenges and adventures. It’s not always easy, but as one person said “This is a time when you can still take on new things. Be adventurous and grab some of the excitement of life with both hands.”
Dealing with the menopause
Thankfully, the menopause is not as invisible as it used to be, and many of the women talked about how they were affected. For some it is a huge challenge, for others it barely registers. Most seem to fall somewhere in-between. Luckily, with more openness, and awareness, there are lots of options for women to find help.
It’s not as bad as we thought
When I first started researching this project, I was somewhat fearful about the stage of life I was entering. I felt nervous about looking too closely. It seems my emotions are widely shared. One woman I met was only forty but already worrying about turning fifty. However, again and again, I learnt that for many, the experience of turning fifty has been more positive than expected.
As a society we are much stronger if we can recognise the contributions of everyone: not just the young, the glamorous and the strong. Round-about Fifty shows a group of bright and competent women who are looking forward to the next phase of their lives. They feel overwhelmed with responsibilities, buffered by hormones and discriminated against but they are contributing massively to society.
I hope that these portraits will direct more well-deserved attention towards this very impressive and yet frequently overlooked cohort of people.
Fran Monks, February 2024.