A woman walks towards the border between Melilla and Morocco with a heavy pack on her back. Every day, thousands of women cross this border, carrying bundles weighing up to 80 kilograms.

Men and women grab goods arriving in trucks near the border. The women carry goods that belong to Moroccan traders, who can earn millions of euros a year from the business. If the goods were to pass through customs officially, traders would have to pay a tariff.

Women wait for someone to help them load bundles onto their backs. The women earn just a few euros each day for their roles as porters, and many suffer from musculoskeletal disorders.

A man helps a woman to load goods on to her back. Not only do the women carry goods on their backs, but they also line their stomachs, arms and legs with the largest number of products possible in order to make the most of each pass through the border.

A man attaches various goods to the stomach of a woman using tape and string. The more goods the women carry, the larger the commission they receive.

Two elderly women walk towards the Melilla crossing point carrying on their backs heavy bales of merchandise. Sometimes women will carry these bundles from warehouses located several miles away from the border.

Three women bend their bodies forward, due to the weight of the goods on their back as they walk towards the Melilla-Morocco border.

Three policemen stand guard, protecting the transit of the female porters at the border. Neither the Spanish nor the Moroccan authorities have managed to legislate for the irregular trade that occurs at this crossing. Police tolerate the activity and dozens of officers work daily to maintain order in the area.