In the forests of the Sunderbans in West Bengal, India, limited livelihood options often drive male fishers literally into the jaws of death, with their widows left struggling for survival.

The expression ‘Byaghro Bidhoba’, which literally translates to ‘Tiger Widows’, is a term used to refer to women who have lost their husbands to tiger attacks while hunting crabs and fish in the dense forests of the Sunderbans in the Indian state of West Bengal. These are women ostracized and rendered invisible by society, and most people in India are unaware of their plight. What’s worse, these women are victimized and harassed by officials of the Forest and the Fisheries departments when they demand their rights and due compensation.