http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/world/asia/a-village-rape-shatters-a-family-and-indias-traditional-silence.html?ref=world&_r=0
This article is about a 16 year old girl in India who spoke out against her attackers. They were at least eight of them and they dragged her to a stone shelter on the out skirts of a field and then procceded to rape and abuse her for more than three hours. They told her that if she told anyone that they would kill her but she spoke out anyway. She is apart of a low-caste that was formally known as the untouchables so this made it increasingly harder for her story to be heard. The attackers video taped the whole ordeal as a trophie and began showing it around the town. Eventually it made its way to the victims father and he soon after committed suicide. The low-caste society was in uproar and was demanding justice. Her family was at the point that they had no reason to remain silent anymore. India has a strict code of silence when it comes to rape especially in small villages because after a rape a girl is seen as unfit for marraige and is disgraced. This however is slowly changing due to change in gender dynamics and the male dominated culture in the northern villages in India. The media is reporting cases more regularly and it is making it easier for victims to come forward. However the small changes that are being made I do not think even begin to have a ripple in the pool. Most rape victims are still blamed for their rapes and publicly scorned. In this patrircal society change is very diffficult and almost at a stalemate. My heart goes out to all the women living in these communitites. They deserve and better,safer, and more fufilling life then the one they are forced into. Hopefully people take notice to this and see the urgent need for social reform in India and try to help in any way that they can.
Posted by: Katelyn Krumreich
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