08.02.2020

​Scars Cannot Stop Them: Meet India’s Incredible Acid Attack Survivors.

Hundreds of acid attack cases take place every year in India. These incidents largely arise out of the rejection of unwanted male attention. Disgruntled fathers, disenchanted lovers, jealous colleagues or those seeking revenge against a family, make women their target. Acid, as ubiquitous as toilet-cleaning liquids, are readily available at corner stores. Acid has emerged as the most preferred weapon of violence against women. While it destroys the skin in a matter of seconds, no amount of corrective medical surgery can bring the skin back to normal. Attackers will usually throw acid on the face, resulting in scarring, deformity and permanent injuries, like blindness for example. The treatment is a prolonged one and the victims go through several surgeries, each more painful than the one before. Scarred for life, they are ridiculed and feared and often held responsible for the attack not just by society, but also by their own families. According to NGO Make Love Not Scars, which works with acid attack survivors in India. Many of them get seriously injured, burnt and/or severely disfigured; some even die. Most survivors do not come out in public, fearing humiliation. They have revealed that they feel suicidal; some of them even take their own lives. Society often relegates these survivors to the fringe. However, several survivors have come out and broken the silence. Many are spearheading change for survivors, pushing for better law and punishment, and building new opportunities.
​Credit: in the now