The Record

Dressed in pink, Indian women fight for rights

By: Lindsey Waytashek

You may think that a group of women dressed in pink is harmless. But arm them with a deep passion for human rights, a determination to do whatever it takes to achieve equality and training in traditional stick fighting … and you may begin to think differently.

This group of Indian women is known as the Gulabi Gang, or the “pink vigilantes.” They are not a gang in the traditional sense of the word but rather “a gang for justice.” They hail from the Northeast Uttar Pradish region of India, which is an extremely populous, poor, patriarchal and culturally traditional area.

“Village society in India is loaded against women. It refuses to educate them, marries them off too early, and barters them for money.”

In response to this discrimination, the Gulabi Gang formed in 2006 under the direct guidance of a 47-year-old woman named Sampat Pal Devi. She teaches the women about their rights and how to use a traditional fighting stick called a lathi. Sampat is intensely passionate about seeking justice for those who are discriminated against, and she is incredibly proud of the progress they have made thus far.

“Nobody comes to our help in these parts … the police are corrupt and anti-poor,” Devi said. “Yet we have managed to stop women being raped and helped send girls to school. Violence and rape against women are very common here, so we’re trying to educate them so that they know their rights.”

They are effective in their fight for justice. For example, if a woman reports domestic violence, the gang pays a visit to the house and confronts the perpetrator. However, “if he refuses to listen, we threaten him,” Devi said. “If his actions still do not change, we get the woman out of the house, and then beat him. If necessary, we do it in public to embarrass him.”

But the Gulabi Gang makes no apologies for its straightforward and occasionally violent tactics.

“Men used to think that the law didn’t apply to them, but we are forcing a huge change,” Devi said.

Often the beating of one man causes the level of violence against women in the village to drop dramatically.

The gang members do not consider themselves to be male-bashing feminists. On the contrary, they state that “we need men — good men — to live with.”

In fact, they fight for the rights of all people. They often storm police stations and confront corrupt officials who, for example, have sold grain that was intended for the poor for personal profit or those who refused to hear a rape allegation case. The gang advocates equal employment and educational opportunities for every individual, no matter his/her caste or sex.

The gang’s methods are controversial, yet it is independently inciting a change that was previously implausible. It does not accept donations from the government or non-governmental organizations since they often expect a repayment or acknowledgement. Instead, “village women need to study and become independent to sort it out themselves — we don’t want donations or handouts,” Devi said. “We don’t want appeasement or affirmative action. Give us work, pay us proper wages and restore our dignity.”

That is the essence of the Gulabi Gang — to fight, literally, for justice and dignity.

“In every village torches are lit,” Devi said. “It is now the woman’s turn. She will conquer the darkness, and find her answers.”

Lindsey Waytashek is a member of the International Affairs Club. Sources: news.bbc.co.uk, www.dailymail.co.uk.

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