23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Enduring Silence

For generations, women in many societies have carried traditions that mark status but also impose silence. This portrait reflects how cultural expectations, shaped over centuries, can define and confine a woman’s place in the world.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Ethiopia
Camera: ILCE-7C
Copyright: © Xinyi Yan