THE LIVES OF OTHERSJana Margarete Schuler
Between Blood and Glitter

Ciudad Juárez, on the U.S.-Mexico border, is one of the most dangerous places in the world for women. According to the UN, over 2,526 women have been murdered in three decades. Hundreds are still missing. Amid this violence, female wrestlers known as Luchadoras defy norms. For them, Lucha Libre (commonly known as Mexican professional wrestling) is more than entertainment. In and outside the ring, they fight for respect, safety, and equality. Their courage inspires a new generation to challenge injustice and reclaim their place in society.

Photo copyright: © Jana Margarete Schuler

Jana Margarete Schuler is a German documentary photographer working worldwide. She focuses on long-term projects addressing social injustice and the oppression of marginalized communities. Schuler works closely with her protagonists, taking time to build trust and intimacy. Many of them are women, reflecting themes that deeply resonate with her own life.
Her visual storytelling builds on the foundation she continues to develop through her studies in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography in Hanover.
For almost three years, she has been documenting the lives of Luchadoras (female wrestlers) in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, in close collaboration with journalist and wrestler Kathrin Zeiske, who performs in the ring under the name Miss Kath. With her project Between Blood and Glitter, she will embark on a worldwide tour starting in 2026, presenting large-scale exhibitions that combine live wrestling, workshops, and talks on female empowerment and social resistance. In addition, Schuler gives lectures, shares insights into her reporting process, and encourages women to position themselves with confidence in this male-dominated field.
Her work has been published in DIE ZEIT, Vogue, SPIEGEL, Stern, among others, and exhibited internationally. In 2024, she was recognized by LensCulture as one of the most promising emerging photographers on the international stage. In 2025, she won the True Picture Award and she was shortlisted in the Student category of the World Report Award|Documenting Humanity; in August 2025, she was named by PhotoVOGUE as one of the 150 most important female image-makers worldwide.

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