In Pictures: India through the eyes of its children
To mark the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Unicef India held a series of photography workshops for children in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
Here is a selection of photographs taken by children and adolescents about issues faced by women in India.
For most children participating in the workshop, it was the first time they had ever held a camera, but the images they captured provide a window into the life they live and the struggles they see around them. This photograph of young girls wearing anklets was taken by Kishor in Ananthasagar village in the southern state of Telangana, formerly a part of Andhra Pradesh state.
Nagarekha Chimala is an anganwadi [government sponsored childcare centre] worker in Ananthasagar. She teaches toddlers and motivates mothers to send them to school, where they have access to education and receive free mid-day meal provided by the government. This photograph by Aruna shows Ms Chimala at work.
Bhargavi took this photograph of an old lady after her lunch in Ananthasagar. "I took this photo because the woman was very friendly and she looked very happy after having her food. I loved her colourful sari," she says.
This picture, taken by Ganesh, shows a baby girl resting on her mother's lap at an anganwadi centre in Ananthasagar. Mother Salima Begam first came to the centre when she was pregnant to receive counselling. She was malnourished and at the centre they gave her iron tablets and advice on proper diet for getting more protein. Now, she and her daughter are healthy.
This photograph by Jayeeta shows women bathing and fetching water from the Mahananda river in Raipur village in Malda district in the eastern state of West Bengal. "Every morning the women meet at the river banks. It is a time for discussion and sharing ideas. I think this is a relaxing moment for them," she said.
Eight-year-old Sahiba contributes to her family income by making dung cakes in Indira Nagar slum in Lucknow city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. "I took this photo because I felt bad that she doesn't have the opportunity to study and I think the conditions in which she works are not proper for a little girl like her. I would like her to be able to study like me," says Lalita who took this photograph.
Madhvi took this photograph of a woman as she slept surrounded by dogs in the ruins of a monument in Husainabad in Lucknow city. "This woman looks abandoned. She only has the company of street dogs," Madhvi said.
Meenakshi took this picture of two elderly women relaxing under the shade of a tree in Veltoor village in Telangana state. Every afternoon, women of the village take a break under the shade of the trees and chat, she says.
This photograph by Moni shows daily wage labourers in Begunbari in West Bengal's Malda district who were working on a community project to build a larger pond to store water in the village.
This photograph, also by Moni, shows a young pregnant woman resting outside her home in Begunbari. "I took this photo because I was shocked that she was married at such an early age. She is 17 years old and is eight months' pregnant. I know that marrying young can snatch away opportunities for girls," Moni says. In India, 47% of women in the age group of 20-24 were married before they turned 18 and 16% became mothers before they were 18. Campaigners say child marriages rob young girls of their childhood and married girls are more at risk of dropping out of school.
In this photo taken by Sravani, a woman looks out through the doorway of her home in Ananthasagar village. "I liked the colour combination and the designs on her sari. She was smiling at children playing on the street," she says.