Giving Compass' Take:

• Manoj Chaurasia and Michael Safi report that 36 school girls from Triveniganj were hospitalized by boys and their families wielding bamboo sticks and iron rods beat them for protesting sexual harassment. 

• How does this type of attack impact the victims, their community, and women's rights in the country? How can funders work to improve cultural attitudes toward women and girls? 

• Learn about funding gender equality efforts. 

Thirty-six Indian schoolgirls have been treated in hospital after they were attacked by a large crowd of teenage boys and their parents when they complained of sexual harassment.

Six boys and one woman were arrested in the north-eastern state of Bihar after the attack at a girls’ boarding school.

Police and witnesses said girls from the government school in Triveniganj – about 160 miles (260km) east of the state capital, Patna – had been playing in a sports area on Saturday night when a group of teenage boys began making lewd comments.

The girls argued back and some physically remonstrated with the teenage boys, who initially backed off. Police say a group of the boys and some of their parents returned about 20 minutes later carrying bamboo sticks and iron rods.

“They dragged us by our ponytails, assaulted [us] with bamboo sticks and kicked and punched,” said Gudia, one of 36 girls who were treated in hospital after the attack.

The girls admitted to hospital were aged between 10 and 14.

Read the full article about hospitalized schoolgirls by Manoj Chaurasia and Michael Safi at The Guardian.