Women In Construction

Across South Asia, rapid urbanisation rests on a stark gender divide. Often arriving on site alongside their husbands as migrant jodi couples, women carry the literal weight of progress - hauling head-pans of stone, mixing mortar and curing concrete. While men are culturally groomed into skilled trades, women are trapped as “helpers”; denied the opportunity to upskill under a heavy systemic ceiling.

This project documents the quiet engine of Asia’s boom - observing the dusty hands, colourful saris and straight backs of these resilient women silently building the East.

A woman wearing a colorful headscarf and a green and white traditional outfit sitting on a ledge inside a building with unfinished concrete walls.
A woman wearing a patterned headscarf and a long-sleeved shirt with decorative stitching, carrying a wooden plank on her shoulder, standing outdoors in front of a brick wall.
A woman carrying a metal bowl walking past a pile of red bricks at a construction site with a partially built brick wall. In the background, a person is seen entering a building, and trees are visible beyond the construction area.
A person wearing a floral dress with a blue background and pink and beige patterns, holding their hands behind their back, with a grey and silver scarf draped over their shoulders.
A woman with dark skin wearing a beige headscarf, earrings, and a pink checkered shirt with a slight stain leaning against a concrete wall.
People working on construction of a building, with one person sitting and another pouring concrete, while a woman stands nearby holding a bucket. The building's brick and concrete structure is visible, with open spaces for windows.
A woman wearing a plaid shirt and red traditional dress, balancing a basket of cement on her head, in a construction area. In the background, there is a man and wooden structures.
Woman in colorful traditional attire with yellow and green headscarf, sitting on the ground, surrounded by small round objects in a dimly lit setting.
A smiling woman wearing a yellow and green headscarf stands indoors, with colorful laundry hanging behind her.
A woman in traditional clothing is standing outside a brick building, holding a sign or board in front of her face. The building has a dark tarp roof, and there are various fabrics hanging on the wall. The ground is sandy, and a large rock and some s
A black and white photo showing three people peeking out from between concrete walls or steps, with a person in the foreground making a gesture with their hands. The person in the foreground appears to be wearing a cap and a casual shirt.
Two people working on a brick wall construction site, with one person facing away and the other peeking from the side, standing on wooden scaffolding.