Jordanian photographer Banan Alawneh
Source: Instagram

Disney recently launched a photography campaign titled "Dream Big, Princess," aiming to shatter gender norms and encourage girls to dream big. 

To do this, the mass media company teamed up with 19 female photographers from around the world, including Jordanian photographer and creative director, Banan Alawneh

The campaign "celebrates inspiring stories around the world to encourage kids everywhere to dream big," according to its official website.

The photo-series captures strong female role models from all over the world, from girls performing typically male-dominated activities like playing soccer and coding, to the youngest person to ever speak at the United Nations, as well as a Paralympic gold medalist.

The inspiring images will be shared on social media to help raise funds for Girl Up, a United Nations Foundations program promoting leadership and empowerment among adolescent girls.

Alawneh, whom Disney describes as "one of the Middle East’s most prominent female photographers," took part in the campaign by profiling five underprivileged Jordanian schoolgirls.

"When I was approached to be part of the initiative I thought of all the young girls who are underprivileged, but had so much potential," said the Amman-based photographer, according to Harper's Bazaar.

She decided to capture girls in the Queen Rania Family and Child Center, a community center for underprivileged kids in Jordan.

"I was inspired by the community center, which offers holistic services that aim to help children and strengthen families across Jordan, kids enroll in these activities to stimulate and express their feelings through art," she explained. 

One of her shots features 8-year-old Menas Hamoudeh, who dreams of defying tough circumstances and becoming a teacher.

Who is Banan Alawneh?

The creative director and fashion photographer launched her career in graphic design before making her way to the world of fashion and becoming the fashion photographer of Jordan's U Magazine.

She has worked on several female subject-focused collaborations for some of the region's biggest media outlets, according to Disney. 

Earlier this year, Alawneh was selected by telecommunications giant, Huawei, to partake in an advertisement campaign for its new P9's stellar dual-lens technology.

Her motto?

"Dreaming big to me means setting high standards to the ideas I have and raising the bar to achieve them.

Nothing is too big to be accomplished."