A 14-year-old blogger has spoken about the impact a recent string of rape attacks have had on the lives of Indian girls.
Rtunjya Gujral, who lives in Gurgaon, near Delhi, says that curfews, personal guards and daily fear are now part of women's lives in her homeland.
Sexual assaults in India have been increasing for many years, but the fatal gang rape of a woman on a New Delhi bus has pushed the issue to the top of the national agenda.
The brutal attack sparked outrage about the treatment of women in the country and has made females more aware of the danger they face.
'The women of Delhi once used to be independent and free. But since the fatal gang rape case in December, I see insecurity and fear in everyone,' Rtunjya explains.
'I know people who have since placed curfew hours for their daughters, and some have even appointed bodyguards for their security, even my own father,' she wrote on a blog for NDTV.
She explained that the guard appointed by her father accompanies her everywhere including when her mother drops and picks her up from school and when she is meeting her friends.
'Even though I want my independence back, I am scared to go out alone without one of my parents,' explains Rtunjya.
Sexual crimes against women and children are reported every day in Indian newspapers, and women often complain about feeling insecure when they leave their homes.
'On numerous occasions, I have caught grown men staring at me, making me extremely uncomfortable, and I wouldn't know what to do about it, so I was left with no choice but to avert my eyes,' Rtunjya says.
Anger: Indian schoolchildren and teachers shout slogans as they carry placards during a demonstration against the rape of a five-year old girl
Attack: Many women say they structure their lives around protecting themselves and their daughters from attack
THE MENTALITY THAT CONDONES SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Rape is the one of the most common crimes against Indian women.
So common, in fact that there is a euphemism coined for the public sexual molestation of women.
In reference to the biblical 'Eve', 'Eve teasing' implies that women are responsible for the behaviour of their attackers.
Rape victims rarely press charges because of social stigma and fear they will be accused of inviting the attack.
Many women say they structure their lives around protecting themselves and their daughters from attack.
New Delhi is the rape capital of India with a rape reported on average every 18 hours.
Government data show the number of reported rape cases in the country rose by nearly 17 percent between 2007 and 2011.
The teenager says she found out about the Delhi gang rape victim when she was having dinner with her family.
'I was shocked out of my wits. I didn't know someone could do something that barbaric to anyone.'
After the 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist died in December from injuries sustained during the rape, several well-known figures in India caused outrage by suggesting it was her fault.
Rtunjya says the ignorant comments 'angered me to no limits.'
She explains that when she asked her mother how anyone could be so heartless, she replied 'Yeh India hai, beta. Nobody cares here.'
Last week a five-year-old girl was raped and tortured before being left for dead in New Delhi - one of two suspects appeared in court today accused of the heinous crime.
'When I heard what that man did to her, I started crying. I was disgusted, how could anyone do that to such a small child?' asks Rtunjya.
An 11-year-old girl is also being treated at the same hospital, having suffered serious internal injuries when she was gang-raped last August.
Rtunjya is concerned that the media circus which is currently surrounding the rape of the child will die down soon and violence against females will continue.
Since the bus gang-rape incident dozens of rapes cases in India - against both Indian women and tourists have been highlighted.
The attack forced India to confront the reality that sexually-assaulted women are often blamed for the crime, forcing them to keep quiet and discouraging them from reporting it to authorities for fear of exposing their families to ridicule.
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Activists say passing new, strong laws is not enough, and that the government must ensure that police and the justice system crack down on crimes against women.
Change: Activists say passing new, strong laws is not enough, and that the government must ensure that police and the justice system crack down on crimes against women.
Publicity: Rape has been a problem in India for many years, but the fatal gang rape of a woman on a New Delhi bus has pushed the issue to the top of the national agenda
Clashes: Police have been criticised for using heavy handed tactics against demonstrators who are demanding better protection of women following the brutal bus gang rape
Women face daily harassment across India, ranging from catcalls on the streets, groping and touching in public transport, to rape.
Government data show the number of reported rape cases in the country rose by nearly 17 percent between 2007 and 2011.
Rape victims rarely press charges because of social stigma and fear they will be accused of inviting the attack.
Many women say they structure their lives around protecting themselves and their daughters from attack