A video about two courageous girls stirs up India
How women in India have to master their lives every day is unthinkable for many in Germany. A 2012 G-20 study found that India is the most misogynist among the big nations. Sexual assaults on the street, rape, domestic violence, dowry murders and killing girls are part of everyday life. Even the government admitted in 2014 that a woman is raped every 22 minutes. Activists assume an even higher number because many victims of shame did not report the perpetrators.
The mass rape of a student on a bus in 2012 shook India and the world. Since then, there have been some attempts to outlaw violence against women. However, there has been little change for women.
This is also shown by a video that circulates through social networks. Two sisters from the northern Indian state of Haryana, 19 and 22 years old, are traveling by bus. One of them is threatened and sexually harassed by three men. The other passengers, the bus driver, the controller - nobody intervenes. But the sisters defend themselves, they beat the men and finally resort to belts to defend themselves. A pregnant woman films the process with her mobile phone.
Later, the women tell in an interview that the men had finally shoved them off the bus and continued to fumble. Only when they threw a brick, the attackers disappeared. The pregnant woman took the victims to the police. Through the video, the men were identified and arrested. They could now be charged with assault and sexual harassment. The bus driver and the inspector were also located and suspended from the service. The transport authority promised to increase the safety of female passengers.
The sisters are now to receive a bravery medal from the government and 400 euros compensation. They would certainly be more pleased if they knew that they could move on the street without fear. And that someone helps them in an emergency.
