Artifact 13 - Women are playing key roles in protests across South Asia. The backlash they face is often heavily gendered - CNN

There are countless injustices presented in this article, but they are all tied together with one thread: that across communities, the prevalence of rape culture is directly tied to marginalization, fear, and control over those deemed unworthy of respect. There is a pervasive, constant fear that leads to protests like the “reclaim the night” movement—and it is not at all unfounded. Rape culture is marked by “common attitudes, beliefs, and practices that ignore, excuse, encourage, or normalize sexual violence,” and potentially the most powerful way to achieve this is in making men believe that rape is not only okay, but a form of justice that they can use to keep those who deserve to be kept down in their place (Gendered Lives, pg. 243). The women fighting these cultural forces are incredibly brave, and are risking personal harm and shunning from their families to raise up all women.