Hundreds of women protested at Indian universities this week following a series of rape cases, demanding justice and systemic change. The demonstrations took place in Delhi, where protesters carried signs challenging victim-blaming narratives. "Girls don't need curfews, rapists need consequences," read one placard. Another stated, "Lock your dicks rather than your women at home."
The protests reflect deep frustration over what demonstrators describe as a lack of progress in addressing sexual violence. Women at the universities said nothing has changed since the Nirbhaya case, a fatal gang rape on a Delhi bus in 2012 that sparked nationwide outcry and became one of India's most infamous sexual assault cases.
According to The Guardian, protesters described sexual harassment, assault, catcalling and molestation as constant, daily threats in Delhi. The demonstrations centred on the message "We want justice," which demonstrators chanted together as they marched from university campuses into the streets.
The timing of these protests, occurring 14 years after the Nirbhaya case, underscores persistent concerns about the effectiveness of legal reforms and institutional responses to sexual violence on Indian campuses and in public spaces.