My heart aches for my 'City of Joy' that once felt safe

Many remember Kolkata as the "City of Joy," popularized by the film that turned Patrick Swayze into a heartthrob. Today, as I visit my aging parents, the early morning quiet is shattered by the chants of "We Want Justice." From my balcony, I see a growing protest demanding justice for the brutal rape, torture, and murder of a young trainee doctor at RG Kar, a government hospital.

The Times of India reported, "As the Kolkata murder-rape case sent shockwaves across the country, the 31-year-old trainee doctor, who considered RG Kar Medical College and Hospital her 'second home,' was subjected to unspeakable horrors." On August 9, after a grueling 36-hour shift, she dozed off in a seminar room, only to be assaulted and murdered in an act of depraved brutality. Her body was discovered by interns the next morning, with her laptop, notebook, and cellphone left untouched beside her. Disturbingly, images of her tortured body spread across social media, going viral.

The monsoon rains seem to weep in unison as I read through the reports. My heart aches for a city that once felt safe, where we, as teenage girls, navigated its streets without fear. I recall the minibus driver who once threw off a man for harassing me. Is this sense of security now lost?

In India, over 80 rapes are reported daily—one every 16 minutes . Brutality is rampant; consider the 14-year-old girl gang-raped and hacked to death for rejecting a marriage proposal. These stories flood the news, yet seldom make the front page.

India’s judicial system, though robust on paper, often fails in practice. Corruption and inefficiency mar law enforcement, with reporting and conviction rates abysmally low. The justice system is sluggish, rarely victim-centered, and riddled with delays and protection for perpetrators. Our report Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal & Other Barriers to Justice ’ deep dives into the difficult pathway to accessing justice.

Swift and fair trials are the only justice we can offer victims’ families. Sexual violence against women and girls must end and Equality Now will do everything we can to prevent violence and create lasting accountability for rape. Our report, ?‘Justice Denied: Sexual Violence & Intersectional Discrimination – Barriers to Accessing Justice for Dalit Women and Girls in Haryana, India and NCWL's report Beyond Rape: Examining the Systemic Oppression Leading to Sexual Violence Against Adivasi Women highlight how rape is used as a weapon of oppression, especially among marginalized communities with little to no access to justice.

While we tread the path of demanding justice and our basic rights to safety, dignity, voice, choice and agency, the questions remains, ‘how can we teach our brothers, sons and fathers that rape must not be used to control or punish women and girls.’