Smita Sharma

Smita Sharma is a photojournalist and visual storyteller whose work focuses on urgent and underreported human rights crises. Sharma documents the experiences of individuals affected by human rights abuses, with a particular emphasis on gender violence, human trafficking, and environmental issues in the Global South through long-form visual narratives. She is a graduate of the photojournalism and documentary photography program at the International Center of Photography in New York and holds a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the University of Pune.

Sharma's editorial assignments have taken her from remote villages in South Asia to global conflict zones. Her images have appeared in The New York Times, BBC World, Human Rights Watch, Die Zeit, and TIME, and she is a contributor to National Geographic Magazine. Among her notable projects is "Stolen Lives," a collaboration with Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, for which Sharma received the Amnesty International Media Award in the photojournalism category and shared second prize in the outstanding investigative reporting category at the Fetisov Journalism Awards. Her short video project "Rebels With a Cause," commissioned by Elle UK, documented an all-female Jaipur Police squad addressing violence and harassment against women, earning her the One World Media Award at BAFTA, London.

Sharma's debut photobook, "We Cry In Silence," investigates cross-border trafficking of minor girls in South Asia. The multilingual publication, released by FotoEvidence, includes illustrations and resources for understanding trafficking. It received the Lucie Photo Book Prize in the Independent Category and the Award of Excellence in the Photography Book of the Year category at Pictures of the Year International. Sharma also organized a "We Cry In Silence" campaign to educate and raise awareness among communities vulnerable to human trafficking. Her portfolio includes projects such as "Not My Shame," which documents sexual violence survivors in India; "The Hargila Army," following grassroots women protecting the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork in Assam; and "Stolen Futures," which covers child marriage in Nepal.

In addition to her fieldwork, Sharma is a public voice on human rights, ethical journalism, and visual storytelling. She is a TED Fellow, TED speaker, and IWMF reporting fellow. Sharma has delivered talks at TEDWomen, TEDxGateway, and MIT Solve in Cambridge. As a speaker at international forums including TED, MIT Solve, and National Geographic's Storytellers Summit, she encourages photographers to approach storytelling with sensitivity and integrity. Sharma conducts workshops and guest lectures globally, including with the Indian Photo Festival, Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, NYU Gallatin School, and VII Academy.

Sharma's contributions to journalism and advocacy have been recognized with honors such as the Indian of the Year award, the Exceptional Women of Excellence award, the Las Fotos Advocacy award, and the Gender Warrior award from the International Advertising Association in association with Google and UNICEF. She serves as a jury member for grants and awards worldwide, including Art Works Projects, The Nature Conservancy, The Indian Photo Festival, and The Everyday Projects, and is a member of The Photo Society, a community of National Geographic Magazine photographers. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the UN Headquarters in New York.