Photo Gallery India's Shame
India has been transfixed by the Delhi gang rape which took the life of a young woman in December. Mass protests have resulted and the country has set up a fast track court to try the alleged perpetrators.
Protests have been constant since the case became public in December. Security forces attempted to break up initial protests, but public anger has continued.
Since the rape, much attention has been focused on the country's deep-seated misogyny and inadequate laws relating to rape.
Five suspects were charged in connection with the rape on Thursday, though the initial hearing had to be postponed until Monday because much of the paperwork was not legible. The lawyer for three of the defendents has said his clients will plead not guilty. The defendents have complained of having been beaten in prison.
Abuse is not uncommon for women in India, with harassment occurring with depressing regularity. Here, women take part in a self-defense course in Bhopal.
A protest on January 2 in Delhi. In addition to sexual abuse, gendercide is common in India, with female fetuses being aborted. The result has been a growing gender imbalance in the country.
Participants holding candles during a vigil for the rape victim, who died of her injuries in late December. The woman has not been named, but she has quickly turned into a signal for Indian women who have had enough.
Sexual violence has long been a problem in India. An overwhelming percentage of women in Delhi report having been a victim of sexual abuse or harassment in their lives.
Women are advised not to go out on the streets alone at night. This sign, recently posted by the Delhi police at the Lady Sriram College in New Delhi, advises female students to return home after class, avoid travelling with strangers and urging them to take up self-defense classes.
In the first days of January, Bikrmasingh Brahma, a prominent leader of India's ruling Congress Party, was accused of rape and was beaten in public by women in the northeastern state of Assam.
Trains often have compartments reserved for women so that they may travel in safety and comfort. There are even entire trains for women sometimes.
It is a paradox: On one hand, women are increasingly educated and encouraged to join the work force -- and female deities are worshipped in the Hindu religion. On the other hand, the atmosphere in which women live and work remains unreformed and prejudiced.
