Nancy Durrell McKenna

A committed advocate for women’s global health through film and photography to educate and inspire change.

Nancy Durrell McKenna
Nancy Durrell McKenna

Biography

An interview with Nancy is inspiring

“Travel, photography and film are my passions. Through the lens, I have explored globally various cultures and traditions. Photography and film are powerful communication tools that supersede the limitations imposed by literacy and language. They can enhance, inspire and empower us to take action.”

“I continue to marvel at the power and ‘beauty’ of Nancy’s work. Her contributions to women globally through advocacy is difficult to quantify, but is huge.”

Tony Falconer

Past President of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK

Partners

Storytelling Through the Lens

Nancy Durrell McKenna is the Founder Director of SafeHands, A UK charity dedicated to improving maternal health and the sexual reproductive rights of women and girls nationally and internationally.

In SafeHands

In SafeHands is a compilation of thirty years of photographic work dedicated to the women, girls and their communities, who welcomed Nancy into their lives and who trusted her to tell their stories.

Purchase Book

In SafeHands Exhibition — on tour

Watch this space as the exhibition continues to inspire and travel and raise awareness of important themes that affect women and girls globally.

Photos from The College of Medicine, La Coruña Spain / Colegio Oficial de Médicos, de A Coruña España
February 2022

InSafeHands Exhibit featured in the media:

  • TELVA: La planificación familiar en el Tercer Mundo: el reto de Nancy Durrell McKenna

Photos from the Royal British Columbia Museum Exhibition

Victoria, BC Canada 
June-August 2019

Permanent Exhibitions

The Touched by a Midwife and One Aspect of Woman photographic exhibitions depict the extraordinary form of the pregnant body with the skill and love of a Midwife. These exhibitions have been purchased by the Whittington Hospital Trust to adorn the walls of its Birth Centre.

Touched by a Midwife Exhibition

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing, University College Hospital, London, UK
2019

One Aspect of Woman

The Cutting Tradition

This moving and sensitive documentary narrated by Oscar winning actor Meryl Streep, highlights, in a non judgmental way, the complex social, religious, cultural and economic issues which underpin the ongoing practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Watch the Film in English

Watch the Film in Spanish

“Nancy’s images reveal an empathy, an artistic quality that transcends photojournalism.”

— Maty Grunberg

Nancy Durrell McKenna

Power Stage

Women Deliver Conference, Vancouver BC, Canada

Nancy’s ability to tell a story visually through her wealth of hands on experiences captivates audiences.