Refugee Woman. Courtesy: Nehru Memorial Museum and Library

Women were particularly vulnerable to the violence that accompanied the Partition. The Indian government reported the abduction of 33,000 women, while the Pakistan government estimated the numbers to be 50,000. These statistics are estimates and the exact numbers are difficult to pinpoint due to the chaos of the time. Women bore the brunt of violence from assailants as well as, often, from their own families.