“Silence is Golden” is a common proverb that people understand implicitly. It is used to say that it is often better to remain silent than to speak.

This series examines the complex role of silence—what we are taught as children (children are to be seen and not heard) as well as its capacity to harm. In particular, I focus on the silences imposed on women, born of misogyny and culture that demands compliance and complicity. These silences instruct us to police our tone, dilute our rage, and suppress our truths. Society insists that we shrink ourselves to fit the comfort of others, forcing us to carry the weight of unspoken pain and unseen injustices.

This young, pregnant Muslim mother lives in New Delhi with her child in the urban slums of the city. She is shown gazing at her son, standing in line to receive food and maybe some money to make life easier for at least a few days. Extreme poverty is rampant – and the burden of raising children in this environment weighs heavy upon the parents.