The Widow

In India, widows are treated much like untouchables and are considered to be bad luck or cursed. They are often kicked out of their homes by their families or if lucky enough to stay in the home, they are physically present but socially divorced from the family activities. Many widows go to live ashrams in Vrindivan which is known as the City of Widows. There, they face a life of begging and destitution. They can no longer wear the brightly colored saris but wear all white or near all white clothing. Last, they shear their hair to remove any traces of their sexuality.
I saw this widow seated alone on a step. The hardness of all the elements in the photo and her small size and loneliness seemed to capture her situation. 
Taken with an Olympus E-M1 and 12-40 lens at 1/500, f/4 and ISO 200. Richard