Gulabi Gang

Imagine a world completely different from our own, well for women that is. The illiteracy rate is 47% and infanticide, child marriages, and domestic violence is something of the cultural norm. Being a woman in this foreign world is a battle no would would ask for. This alternate reality is Uttar Pradesh in India. Last year alone there were 1,963 cases of rape, 7,910 cases of kidnapping and 2,244 cases of dowry death, which were all against women.

A woman by the name of Sampat Devi Pal has been working for the last 35 years to change all of this. Sampat, who goes by Devi, founded the Gulabi Gang, an all-women vigilante group. Their target? Rapists. Their weapon of choice? Sticks. Their costume? An all pink saree.

"Yes, we fight rapists with lathis [sticks]. If we find the culprit, we thrash him black and blue so he dare not attempt to do wrong to any girl or a woman again," says Devi.

~Sampat Devi Pal~

The group was started in response to the alarmingly large amount of crimes against women and the astonishing low amount of court and lawful punishment. With a broken law system, women have been taking matters into their own hands. The movement is now backed up up by over 400,000 women in 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

However, these women do not immediately resort to beating the perpetrators with sticks. First they try to gain justice for the crimes through dialogues, rallies, and hunger strikes. When these and all else fails, they take action in the same way the criminals did, with violence.

By founding this gang, Devi has started a revolution. She brought a subject that was ignored for so long into the spotlight. The fight for women’s rights is now somewhat in the spotlight of the country’s problems. The group has gotten country and world wide recognition, and in turn, is empowering women across India and the rest of the world to stand up for themselves and each other.