V. Acknowledgments

This report was researched and written by Aruna Kashyap, researcher for the Women’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, with secondary research support from Reena Reddy, intern with the Women’s Rights Division, and Chloë Fussell, associate in the Women’s Rights Division. The report was edited by Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the Women’s Rights Division. Aisling Reidy, senior legal advisor, and Danielle Hass and Robin Shulman, consultants to the Program Office, also reviewed the report. Joseph Amon, director of the Health and Human Rights Division; Bede Sheppard, Asia researcher for the Children’s Rights Division; and Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director, provided input and comments on portions of the report.

We are particularly indebted to the external reviewers who provided input on an early version of the report. These include Kalpana Kannabiran, director of Asmita Collective, Hyderabad, Pratiksha Baxi, assistant professor at the Center for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Usha Ramanathan, independent legal researcher and human rights activist, New Delhi, Chayanika Shah from the Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai, and Flavia Agnes, director, Majlis, Mumbai.

Reena Reddy, Chloë Fussell, and Daniela Ramirez, associate in the Women’s Rights Division, provided editing and production assistance. Anna Lopriore, creative manager, Grace Choi, publications director, and Fitzroy Hepkins, mail manager, provided production assistance.

We are very grateful to the many forensic experts and doctors, representatives of local NGOs, lawyers, families of survivors and others who assisted our research by sharing their experiences and views on the subject, in particular, CEHAT and Dr. Indrajit Khandekar, assistant professor of forensic medicine, Mahatma Gandhi University, Wardha.

The views expressed in this report are those of Human Rights Watch and Human Rights Watch takes full responsibility for any errors or omissions.

We acknowledge with gratitude the financial support of Arcadia, the Moriah Fund, the Trellis Fund, and the other supporters of the work of the Women’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.