Movements in order to bring attention to sexual assault and sexual harassment, have been spreading across the globe, sparking protests in multiple countries. Campaigners have been pushing for the government of India to protect girls in state-run institutions who are at risk of sexual assault and violence following a violent attack of 34 school girls by a mob for fighting off sexual harassers in Bihar state. In Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, a residential school for girls in Supaul district, a group of boys routinely made sexual advances towards a group of girls, but when the girls objected to these advances a mob of the boys and their parents beat and injured the girls, all aged between 12 and 14. The girls were rushed to the hospital shocked, injured and in extreme trauma with most of their clothes torn and dupattas took away. So far the police have arrested two people and detained four who were a part of the attack. Campaigners are bringing special attention the incident as activists point out that the community has failed to protect girls in schools like Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, and are pushing for projects to get adolescent girls on self-defence training programmes.
According to Child Rights, crimes against minors have risen more than 500% in the past decade. India has created strict anti-rape laws in response to the series of child rapes, including when more than 30 girls were assaulted at a children’s shelter, with evidence that they had been beaten, drugged, raped and scalded with hot water back in July, however the sexual assaults have not stopped. Currently a child is sexually abused in India every 15 minutes, according to Child Rights, but activists hope that with more attention being brought to this issue, the government of India will create ways to protect women from sexual assault.