23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Women in action

Dust rises in the air as a group of women repair a road in Bangladesh. Bent over their brooms, they work through the haze; one woman pauses, broom in hand, watching over the others. For many, this labor is not a choice but an economic necessity. Their husbands may be unable to work, some through injury, others through struggles with addiction, leaving women to shoulder the burden of survival. Yet the labor itself offers little in return. The pay is meagre, the conditions harsh, the recognition absent.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: India
Copyright: © Dipak Ray