Red Brigade: A voice against sexual violence

Red Brigade is a self-organized women’s collective formed in the outskirts of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, in response to the widespread sexual assaults affecting the region.

In 2010, Usha Vishwakarma was sexually assaulted by a colleague — an experience tragically common in Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s poorest states and among those with the highest rates of sexual violence. Determined to act, Usha organized a workshop on sexual abuse. Of the 55 women who attended, 53 revealed they had suffered abuse, most often within their own families.

What began as a discussion on self-protection grew into a movement. Despite ridicule and threats from their community, fifteen young women began taking martial arts lessons. Usha and other survivors formed the core of what would soon become the Red Brigade.

Today, with the support of both women and men across Uttar Pradesh, the group fights against sexism and advocates for access to education. At their headquarters, they run workshops on sexual education, self-defense classes, and lessons for children who lack schooling opportunities. Guided by a strong sense of social responsibility, their work now extends to the broader needs of their community — composed largely of illiterate workers, farmers, and child laborers.

From its humble beginnings, the Red Brigade has grown into a nationwide movement, with thousands of supporters across India — a symbol of resistance, empowerment, and hope.