Portrait of an elderly Hakka woman, Hong Kong, China

The blue town, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Portrait of old Chinese woman, Tanzhe Temple, Beijing, China, Asia

Old woman with cheroot, Ywama, Shan State, Inle Lake, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Morning exercises in front of the wooden pagoda on the main square, Zhangye, Gansu Province, China, Asia

Riverside cooking at the Damnoen Saduak Floating River Market, Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Old woman weaving scarves at her loom, Luang Prabang, Laos, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Church of San Vito in Urbe, Mazara del Vallo, Trapani, Sicily, Italy, Europe

Old lady selling embroidery in the walled medieval town of Obidos, declared national monument, Estremadura, Portugal, Europe

The Bridge of Tiberius, Rimini, Emilia Romagna, Italy, Europe

An elderly woman working in water filled rice terraces with fish traps, Tulgao Village near Tinglayan, The Cordillera Mountains, Kalinga Province, Luzon Island, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Traditional decorative Newari hand carved wood windows and architecture on a temple in an historical little village, Nuwacot, Nepal, Asia

View of shopping street in Knareborough town centre, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Early morning exercise class for the elderly in Limassol, Cyprus, Mediterranean, Europe

An elderly woman working in water filled rice terraces with fish traps, Tulgao Village near Tinglayan, The Cordillera Mountains, Kalinga Province, Luzon Island, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Aboriginal Yolngu elder stirs freshly dyed pandanus fronds to be used for basket making at Nyinyikay Homeland, East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, Pacific

Elderly woman working with straw in Melabday village, Asso Bhole, Dallol, Danakil Depression, Afar Region, Ethiopia, Africa

Old woman of the Jiye tribe smoking a pipe, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan, Africa

A woman, Aboriginal elder, weaving baskets, Nyinyikay Homeland, East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, Pacific

A woman, Aboriginal elder, stirring pandanus for weaving baskets, Nyinyikay Homeland, East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, Pacific

Chester Cathedral, Chester, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Portrait of a woman, an Aboriginal elder, at Nyinyikay Homeland, East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, Pacific

Typical French cafe life in Cluny, Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy, France, Europe

Old woman with a prayer wheel in her hand, Lo Manthang, Kingdom of Mustang, Nepal, Asia

Portrait of a Padaung woman (Giraffe woman) (Long-necked woman), Loikaw area, Panpet, Kayah state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Farmer at work, agriculture, organic vegetable gardens in Tra Que Village, Hoi An, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Portrait of a Padaung woman (Giraffe woman) (Long-necked woman), Loikaw area, Panpet, Kayah state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Cobbled streets lined with 16th century burgher houses in the medieval citadel, Sighisoara, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Transylvania, Romania, Europe

Chin woman with spiderweb tattoo, Mindat, Chin state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Portrait of a Padaung woman, (Giraffe woman) (Long-necked woman), with a traditional weaving chair, Loikaw area, Panpet, Kayah state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Kremlin of Tula, Tula Oblast, Russia, Eurasia

Old woman, Lo Manthang, Kingdom of Mustang, Nepal, Asia

Typical street vendor with Vietnamese hat sitting down selling food, fresh fruit, Hoi An, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Old woman, Hora, Mykonos, Cyclades, Greece, Europe

Portrait of a Padaung woman (Giraffe woman) (Long-necked woman), Loikaw area, Panpet, Kayah state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Chin woman with spiderweb tattoo smoking a pipe, Mindat, Chin state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Close-up of a man's hands praying the rosary, France, Europe

Arches Provincial Park, Portland Creek, Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada, North America

Senior woman with hand on cheek and smiling at market, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Chin woman with spiderweb tattoo smoking a pipe, Mindat, Chin state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Cable Car at Russian Hill, San Francisco, California, United States of America, North America

Old Batammariba woman standing in the granary on top of her takienta, the traditional earth tower house of Koutammakou region, La Kara, Togo, West Africa, Africa

Chin woman with spiderweb tattoo, Mindat, Chin state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Kremlin of Astrakhan, Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, Eurasia

Old woman dozing at monastery, Paleokastritsa, Corfu, Greek Islands, Greece, Europe

Berber woman in traditional clothing, carding wool, Telouet, near Ouarzazate, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Old lady smoking cigar, Calla Empedrado, Havana, Cuba, West Indies, Central America

Old lady smoking cigar, Calla Empedrado, Havana, Cuba, West Indies, Central America

Portrait of an old woman, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan state, India, Asia

A holy woman laughing at Pashupatinath Hindu Temple in Nepal

An old woman with prayer wheels laughing at the Kyichu Buddhist Temple in Paro, Bhutan

Local grey-haired woman laughing in Nepal

Aborigines at Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory in Australia

A woman from the Kathmandu valley in Nepal wearing nose jewels in the traditional way. Her head is covered with a tartan shawl.

Long necked woman from Padaung tribe weaving at Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Long necked woman from Padaung tribe weaving at Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

People walking along alley in old town of Corfu, Corfu Island, Ionian Islands, Greece, Europe

Elderly woman working in rice field harvesting rice, Kep, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Elderly woman working in rice field harvesting rice, Kep, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Portrait of an Akha hill tribe woman, Chiang Rai, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Old Aku lady smoking wooden pipe, Wan Sai village, Kengtung (Kyaing Tong), Shan state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Senior woman making basketwork beside her thatched house in the village of Vidzeme, Ethnographic Open-Air Museum near Riga, Latvia, Baltic region, Europe

Berber woman in traditional clothing, Telouet, near Ouarzazate, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

View of shops and cafes on Kirkgate and Cathedral in background, Ripon, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Abhayagiri Dagoba, Anuradhapura, UNESCO World Heritage Site, North Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

A food stall at the Indy market in Phuket old town, Phuket, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Senior woman making basketwork beside her thatched house in the village of Vidzeme, Ethnographic Open-Air Museum near Riga, Latvia, Baltic region, Europe

Greek woman baking bread in outdoor communal oven, Olymbos (Olimbos), Karpathos, Dodecanese islands, Mediterranean, Europe

Old woman, Bandhavgarh National Park, Tala, Madhya Pradesh, India, Asia

Elderly women watching from a balcony with umbrella for sun protection in Portugal

Portrait of Pa-O woman at Ywama Market, Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Aku lady smoking wooden pipe, Wan Sai village, Kengtung (Kyaing Tong), Shan state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Centre Pompidou Museum, Malaga City, Costa Del Sol, Andalusia, Spain, Europe

Bedouin grandmother, Dead Sea, Jordan, Middle East

Iban woman weaving pua kumbu, in complex traditional patterns and reated to old head-hunting rituals, Katibas River, Sarawak, Malaysia, island of Borneo, Southeast Asia, Asia

Housefront with man and girl, Filandia, Coffee Region, Colombia, South America

Woman and her grand-daughter, Cappadocia, Anatolia, Turkey, Asia Minor, Asia

Water ladles, shaku, Nishiki Tenmangu shrine, Kyoto city, Honshu, Japan, Asia

Tirta Empul temple, Ubud region, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Nun in St. Peter's Square, Vatican, Rome, Lazio, Italy, Europe

Musician near Main Market Square, Krakow (Cracow), Poland, Europe

Anuradha Koirala, proclaimed winner of CNN Hero of the Year 2010, warmly greeted upon her return. Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal. A woman whose group has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery has been named the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year. Anuradha Koirala was chosen by the public in an online poll that ran for eight weeks on CNN.com. ?Human trafficking is a crime, a heinous crime, a shame to humanity,? Koirala said after being introduced as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. ?I ask everyone to join me to create a society free of trafficking. We need to do this for all our daughters

Anuradha Koirala holds up her CNN Hero of the Year 2010 award as she is warmly greeted upon her return. Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal. A woman whose group has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery has been named the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year. Anuradha Koirala was chosen by the public in an online poll that ran for eight weeks on CNN.com. ?Human trafficking is a crime, a heinous crime, a shame to humanity,? Koirala said after being introduced as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. ?I ask everyone to join me to create a society free of trafficking. We need to do this for all our daughters

Uzbekistan old lady of samarkand

East timor. Camp for internally displaced people (idps) in the old hospital at baucau. Jacinta marques, and old woman and children at the camp

India - tribes: lambada tribal woman, andhra pradesh

East timor. Woman of kefua village, oecussi-ambeno

Uzbekistan women in the market at shakhrisabz

The Muni Seva Ashram in Goraj, near Vadodara, India, is a tranquil haven of humanitarian care. The Ashram is hugely sustainable, next year it will be completely carbon neutral. Its first solar panels were installed in 1984, long before climate change was on anyones agenda. Their energy is provided from solar panels, and wood grown on the estate. Waste food and animal manure is turned inot biogas to run the estates cars and also used for cooking. Solar cookers are also used, and the air conditioning for the hospital is solar run. 70 % of the food used is grown on the estate. They provide an orphanage, schools for all ages, vocational training, care for the elderly, a specialist cancer hospital withstate of the art machinary, and even have a solar crematorium. This shot shows a cook preparing chapatis on a biofuel stove.

The Muni Seva Ashram in Goraj, near Vadodara, India, is a tranquil haven of humanitarian care. The Ashram is hugely sustainable, next year it will be completely carbon neutral. Its first solar panels were installed in 1984, long before climate change was on anyones agenda. Their energy is provided from solar panels, and wood grown on the estate. Waste food and animal manure is turned inot biogas to run the estates cars and also used for cooking. Solar cookers are also used, and the air conditioning for the hospital is solar run. 70 % of the food used is grown on the estate. They provide an orphanage, schools for all ages, vocational training, care for the elderly, a specialist cancer hospital withstate of the art machinary, and even have a solar crematorium. This shot shows a woman planting trees for onward growth in the Ashrams forests.

The Muni Seva Ashram in Goraj, near Vadodara, India, is a tranquil haven of humanitarian care. The Ashram is hugely sustainable, next year it will be completely carbon neutral. Its first solar panels were installed in 1984, long before climate change was on anyones agenda. Their energy is provided from solar panels, and wood grown on the estate. Waste food and animal manure is turned inot biogas to run the estates cars and also used for cooking. Solar cookers are also used, and the air conditioning for the hospital is solar run. 70 % of the food used is grown on the estate. They provide an orphanage, schools for all ages, vocational training, care for the elderly, a specialist cancer hospital withstate of the art machinary, and even have a solar crematorium. This shot shows the girls school.

Portrait of a 90 year old Wakhi woman, Bakti Mo, Bulmit, Bojal, Pakistan, Asia

Jamaica. Old woman of german origin talking to american priest during sunday mass in the catholic church at seaford town

Elderly woman plaiting rushes, Bashindi, Dakhla oasis, Western Desert, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Russia - soup kitchen run by mother teresas sisters of charity for the poor and elderly, yuzhno sakhalinsk, sakhalin island, russian far east

Russia - soup kitchen run by mother teresas sisters of charity for the poor and elderly, yuzhno sakhalinsk, sakhalin island, russian far east

Australia. Older aborigine woman who jhas just caught a catfish, aborigine community of , or beswick, arnemland, northern territory. 2007

Female Aboriginal Artist, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, Pacific

India - religion - christian elderly cmc catholic sister at koonamavu convent, kerala

Fiji aisake madigibuli (right) 62 and his wife melania, 61, taveuni photo by sean sprague