A group of young Indian women has had enough of sexual harassment and assaults, so they're fighting back.
They're called the "red brigade," and they patrol one of India's poorest regions.
The group started in 2011 as a small support group for women subjected to sexual harassment.
It has since grown to more than 100 members ranging in age from 11 to 25.
Group founder Usha Vishwakarma said she was almost raped by a colleague but instead of being treated as a victim, she, like many other girls in the area, was blamed.
“In our society, well-bred women are not expected to raise their voice, and quietly deal with all wrongdoing,” she said.
“We weren't getting any support from our families or the police, so we decided to fight for ourselves.”
The group patrols the streets of their neighbourhood wearing red, symbolising danger, and black, symbolising protest.
Members of the brigade say membership numbers started to increase after the gang rape and murder in December of 23-year-old student Jyoti Singh in New Delhi.
That attack provoked national headlines and prompted protest marches across the country against what demonstrators said is a major problem overlooked by authorities.
“Earlier we couldn't utter a word, no matter what the men did to us. We used to be so scared. Now if a man even dares to touch us, he'll be punched in the face,” group member Afreen Khan said.
