Is the arts a place where women have equal opportunity? And if not, why not? That's the big question at hand in Episode Six of RNZ podcast, Beyond Kate.

Today, women are more visible than they've ever been before.

The #MeToo Movement has put the needs and concerns of women front and centre, asking us to question how and what has happened to allow women's voices to be swept very directly under a trampled on, moth-eaten, dusty rug that is finally being shaken and aired out.

But while we acknowledge that women deserve to have an equal place in society, that doesn't mean that women's voices are truly being heard.

Listen to Episode Six: Women Should Be Seen and Heard

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It's easy to assume that the arts provides a liberal and accessible space for women.

But if we look to our past there were talented women who made significant contributions to our artistic heritage who have been left off the pages of our nation's history books.

One of those women was portrait photographer, Harriet Cobb. She was one of New Zealand's first female photographers who was brought up learning the family trade in Bournemouth where her father set up the family business in 1862.

"They were very against women...in those days they didn't count," says Auckland-based Len Cobb, Harriet's Great grandson.

There were two barriers standing in Harriet's way at the time.

The first was that photography was considered to be a commercial venture in the 19th century, rather than being valued as an art form.

Secondly, society's views around women were so deeply entrenched that they dictated decisions, even those made by Harriet's own father.

Harriet and her sister Mary were talented portrait photographers. Mary went on to photograph the Swedish royal family, and sold a photographic book of children world-wide.

Harriet's father used his daughters work to promote the business. But neither Mary nor Harriet were ever credited for their work, which meant they remained ever invisible, even within their own family.

And that prompted Harriett to make the big move to New Zealand in 1884.

A year later, she and her husband set up a studio in Napier, and opened another the following year in Hastings.

Harriet's husband would later try and elbow her out of their successful business, which would have been a disastrous move…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details