On December 30, 2012, the body of a twenty-three year old female Delhi (India) resident, who was brutally gang raped earlier that month, was laid to rest.  She, along with a male companion, were attacked when boarding a bus in the city.  After beating her male friend unconscious, several men proceeded to rape and brutally beat her.  When the offenders were through, they tossed her body, along with her friend's, from the bus, only to fail in their attempt to run them over.  The young woman was hospitalized, and after undergoing several surgeries which failed to assist in her recovery, she was flown to Singapore for specialized care.  There, she died, after going into organ failure.  Her body was then flown back to India and her ashes were scattered across the Ganges river.

What brutality this young woman suffered.  What courage she had to fight back against her attackers when they initially began beating her male companion.  What strength she possessed to fight for so many days as she struggled for her own survival.

This woman, this hero, has remained NAMELESS throughout all of the media attention the story has received, both nationally in India and internationally.  I followed the story for days, wondering why this was.  What was her name?  The only logical reason I could think of, for the press to exercise such diligent and intentional discretion, was out of respect for the victim and her family.

I was shocked and saddened to discover that the reason was due to an Indian law prohibiting the release of a rape victim's identity, not out of respect for her privacy, or to allow her time to heal and recover in peace, but to SHIELD her from the STIGMA that would inevitably be attached to her, should people know what happened.  This law succeeded in shrouding the victim's identity in ambiguity, a right all victims absolutely deserve, but simultaneously it reveals a very disturbing aspect of deeply rooted sexism pervasive in Indian society.  The fact that a woman could be labeled negatively by society after suffering something as brutal and tragic as rape is horrifying.

All too often, crimes against women are ignored or disregarded in India, where they are largely seen as second-class citizens, and nothing more.  The outlawed, but still heavily practiced, custom of dowry in which the woman's family pays the man when arranging marriage, speaks to how far the country has yet to come regarding an actualized egalitarian ethic for its female population.  Ultrasounds have also been outlawed in India because of the increasing likelihood that female fetuses will be aborted because they are not males.  These examples support the fact that violence against women is a systemic issue and one that must be remedied.

As word of this young woman's rape and death spread, the streets in Delhi began to fill, with WOMEN.  They were outraged, and began demanding change.  Their collective voice became so loud that celebrations for the New Year scheduled to be held in various cities, and even that of the ruling Congress Party were toned down or canceled completely.  The question being asked was: how can I as a citizen, and we as a nation, celebrate in the midst of such a cultural crisis.  The fact that this question was not only voiced, but answered is a sign of progression.

The thousands of women who have been brave enough and selfless enough to take to the streets and demand acknowledgement of this injustice, have helped bring light to what has become an epidemic, one that can only be remedied through a cultural shift in perspective and action.  The women of India have inspired the international community and educated them.  Candle light vigils were held for the victim across the world.  The flames shined for both her and the women who are demanding she be the last!

Although tragic, it is all too often crisis and utter heartbreak that FORCE people to look inward and not only give nod to, but address the ills lying deep within.  This is the gold lining.  This is the hope-that from grief will arise inspiration, and that the wayward will give way to progression.