The panel is part of Visible Work, Invisible Women, a photo exhibition depicting the great range of work done by rural women. All the photographs were shot by P. Sainath across 10 Indian states between 1993 and 2002. Here, PARI has creatively digitised the original physical exhibition that toured most of the country for several years.
A lifetime bending
She paused, exasperated by the midday sun in Vizianagaram. But remained bent over. She knew she would resume work in moments – in that very posture.
Working in the same cashew fields were two other groups of women from her village. One group had carried its lunch and water two kilometres to the field. The other worked from the reverse direction. All were bent over.
In Rayagada in Odisha, there were also men in the field. Through the lens, it was more spectacular. All the men were standing. All the women, bending. In Nuapada in Odisha, the rain did not stop the woman from weeding. She worked on, bent from the waist. Under an umbrella.
— source ruralindiaonline.org | P. Sainath | Jul 22, 2014