AKIPRESS.COM - Thousands of Indians have taken to the streets to protest the rape and murder of a doctor in a government hospital in Kolkata city last week.

They are demanding justice and better security and facilities at medical campuses and hospitals, HRW reported. The attack has cast a spotlight on how millions of Indian women remain exposed to abuse in the workplace and continue to face severe barriers to justice for sexual violence.

On August 9, a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found dead in a seminar room. News reports said she had fallen asleep in the classroom after a grueling 36-hour shift because there was no designated rest area for staff. The autopsy showed her body bore severe injuries, including fractures, suggesting a brutal assault. A male hospital volunteer worker has been arrested.

The processions in the early hours of the morning on Thursday 15 August, India’s Independence Day, were part of several days of protest against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor inside a hospital in the state capital, Kolkata, last week.

The women marched to chants of “Reclaim the night”, a reference to the fact that the unnamed 31-year-old doctor was attacked at night on Friday while taking a break from a long shift at the government RG Kar hospital, The Guardian reports. 

The call for women to come out emerged from the anger expressed on social media, and quickly created the largest protest movement the state has seen for a long time.

The anger on the streets was about the doctor’s horrific ordeal, but it was also about the daily struggle Indian women face to live freely. Organisers said they chose Independence Day to ask: when will women gain their independence?

As the marchers made their way past homes, gated communities and apartment blocks, many inside rushed out to join the throng, undeterred by the rain. The chants were about justice, safety and respect.