Vigilantes in pink

Photo: G.M.B Akash/Marie Claire

Finally, women fight back. I'm not talking about women in the U.S where human rights are way much more appreciated compared to those in third world countries. But seeing these women from a poor village in India actually take a stand and defend their rights just seems so empowering.

In this article featured in Marie Claire called Vigilantes in Pink, a group of women in the district of Banda, North India, was fed up with their abusive husbands and corrupt officials. So they armed themselves with sticks, learned some self defense, and declared themselves as the Gulabi gang or the "pink gang".

The article was written by Jan Goodwin. It has a handful of interesting facts. Among them are:
1. These poor women only earn about 75 cents a day.
2. They are married off before puberty
3. People pay respect for these women and just to know that they're coming is already enough to scare the bad guys away
4. Because of these heroes, there a fewer rapes now in the area and more girls are attending school.

This is a really interesting issue that the international world is not really familiar about. It might even bring a good impact if women in other parts of the world who suffer the same thing as the pink saris women read this and get the message out of it. Even the photographs are really captivating and set the reality atmosphere clearly.

I'm not sure exactly how this writer got all this information but I'm guessing they actually paid a visit to the village. As an article consisting of three paragraphs, it doesn't contain the most comprehensive information that I'd like to know more about. I'd like to hear more about the personal feelings of the women. I know what made them start this movement, but I'd like to hear more of a personal response in their own words. I'd like them to share their painful experience and tell me what unshackles their fear and turn it into power.

With those things, it would have been a greater article and more engaging to read.