Women at work: Stories from the margins come alive in photographs

A woman smiling after nine hours of tea plucking, a craftswoman at work in a village, Kashmir’s first woman IPS officer standing in uniform -these are some of the powerful moments captured in Blurring of the Margins – India at Work, a photographic exhibition by Kounteya Sinha that opened at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity on Tuesday evening.The exhibition was presented by Jitavati Das, whose initiative seeks to bring attention to stories of resilience and dignity among women whose work often goes unnoticed. The project itself is the result of an intense journey: Sinha travelled nearly 41,000 km over 124 days, documenting the lives of women across Kerala, Kashmir, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal. The exhibition features 70 photographs, each spotlighting women whose labour often goes unseen but plays a vital role in shaping India’s economy and communities.

A journey across India’s margins

Through portraits and everyday moments, the exhibition captures women whose work unfolds far from the spotlight - tea garden workers, artisans, farmers, officers and entrepreneurs. For Kounteya , the project was about the stories behind the images as much as the images themselves.“This show is not really about photographs; it’s about stories,” he said. “I travelled across the country meeting women whose resilience quietly powers families and communities. These images are a tribute to their strength.”

Actor Divya Dutta, who attended the opening, said the exhibition resonated because of the human stories behind the images. “These photographs move you because they are deeply human. Behind every frame is a woman who is working, surviving, dreaming , often without recognition. Celebrating these stories is incredibly important,” she said.

Voices that shaped the evening

The opening drew an eclectic mix of voices from cinema, sports, diplomacy and the arts. Actor Lillete Dubey reflected on the emotional depth behind the images. “You see photographs everywhere today, but what makes these powerful are the lives behind them - the struggles and the resilience that the lens captures,” she said. Nishtha Satyam, Head of Mission for UN Women in Iraq, spoke about the global realities women continue to face. “The real definition of equality is when men and women with the same level of success don’t have to pay different prices for it,” she said, urging women to continue speaking up and claiming their space. Among those present were director Anuparna Roy, actor Shanthipriya, Padma Shri and Arjuna Award-winning table tennis player Mouma Das, and Yatindra Mohan Pratap Mishra.

“What touched me most about the exhibition is the quiet strength of these women. They may live far from the spotlight, but their courage and determination are truly inspiring,” said Shanthipriya. Reflecting on the broader significance of the exhibition, Yatindra Mohan Pratap Mishra added, “India’s strength lies in the resilience of its people, and women have always been at the centre of that strength. Exhibitions like this remind us of the many untold stories that deserve recognition.” For many in the room, the exhibition served as a reminder that behind every image lies a deeper narrative - of labour, survival and quiet courage , bringing into focus women who continue to shape the country’s social and economic landscape from the margins.