PORTRAITS - MONOCHROME
FEMMES INDIENNES
WOMEN OF INDIA
La condition de la femme indienne
Être femme en Inde, c’est exister dans un monde aux multiples contrastes, où tradition et modernité se croisent, parfois s’opposent. C’est grandir dans une société profondément marquée par l’héritage patriarcal, les normes religieuses, les castes et les usages sociaux, tout en portant, souvent silencieusement, les graines du changement.
Dans les zones rurales, nombreuses sont celles dont la voix reste étouffée par les mariages précoces, le poids des tâches domestiques ou le manque d’accès à l’éducation. Pourtant, elles sont aussi celles qui cultivent la terre, élèvent les enfants, perpétuent les savoirs ancestraux et soutiennent les communautés. Dans les villes, les femmes luttent pour leur place, entre carrières, études, aspirations nouvelles et contraintes familiales. Certaines brisent les codes, deviennent avocates, militantes, artistes, scientifiques. D’autres se battent simplement pour marcher seules dans la rue, libres et en sécurité.
La femme indienne est plurielle : parfois voilée, parfois indépendante, parfois silencieuse, parfois rebelle. Mais en chacune d’elles, il y a une force intérieure, un souffle de résistance, une capacité à se relever. Car derrière les chiffres et les clichés, il y a des histoires, des visages, des regards qui racontent la complexité d’une condition en mutation.
Célébrer ces femmes, c’est reconnaître leur courage, leur beauté, leur droit à exister pleinement — entre tradition et émancipation, entre ombre et lumière.
The Condition of Women in India
To be a woman in India is to live within a world of striking contrasts — where tradition and modernity intertwine, sometimes clash. It means growing up in a society shaped by centuries of patriarchy, religious norms, caste systems, and social customs, while often quietly carrying the seeds of transformation.
In rural areas, many women’s voices remain unheard, constrained by early marriages, domestic responsibilities, or limited access to education. And yet, they are the ones who till the land, raise children, preserve ancestral knowledge, and sustain their communities. In cities, women strive to claim their space — balancing careers, studies, new ambitions, and family expectations. Some defy convention, becoming lawyers, activists, artists, scientists. Others simply fight for the right to walk alone, free and safe.
The Indian woman is not a single story — she is diverse: sometimes veiled, sometimes liberated, sometimes silent, sometimes defiant. But within each of them lies a quiet strength, a pulse of resistance, a will to rise. Behind the statistics and stereotypes are stories, faces, and gazes that reveal the layered reality of a condition in transition.
To honor these women is to acknowledge their courage, their beauty, and their right to exist fully — between tradition and emancipation, between shadow and light.
Walking along the streets, I’ve often been approached by passers-by asking me to take their picture. The first time, I went on my way, as if nothing had happened, but then I decided to play along. I wanted to bring together several portraits that I had photographed during my stays in India. These portraits show the diversity of the people who live in India. Behind these faces are stories, experiences and totally different futures… I’m sharing with you the portraits of people who decided to share a little of their story through my camera.
