Acid Attack Survivors: Is it the end?

Acid attack, as one may have figured, is purely a gender-based crime. It’s a heinous and vindictive crime, mostly committed against women. It causes immense psychological trauma, in addition, to severe pain, irreparable disfigurement, impending infections, and even blindness oftentimes, in one or both eyes. The National Commission of India states that an acid attack is, “any act of throwing acid or using acid in any form on the victim with the intention of with the understanding, it is plausible that the perpetrator can cause the victim permanent or partial damage, deformity or disfiguration to any part of the body such person”.

Acid attack is most commonly carried out using common types of acid like sulphuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acid. Besides taking care of her own life, as a mother, a woman has to take care of her children’s needs too. Nevertheless, they can still establish themselves by performing well in workplaces, in various cases even better than their male counterparts.

Due to conditioning on unequal power distribution between men and women for centuries, violence against women has become a common occurrence making them susceptible to being acid attack victims. The hindrance of growth in women is the result of domination over and discrimination against them, by men. Serious human rights violation is an outcome of gender-based violence, which transcends across their age, marital status, religion, class, or race.,

Acid attack survivors, although cursed with the painful memory of their attack and attacker, mostly seem to try and have a positive outlook on life and refuse to relinquish their aspirations. They become an inspiration to women everywhere, including other acid attack survivors who may recently have become acid attack victims, and give them the push they need to not give up and continue their lives as they would have, had they not been assaulted.

Kanoria Foundation orchestrates a social initiative, with another foundation known as the “Acid Attack Survivors & Women Welfare Foundation”. The latter is a pan-India organization that confronts acid attacks on women, and their rehabilitation back into society. It also affiliates itself with global institutions in the acid-attack movement.

Sponsoring the medical treatments at specialized hospitals and collaborating with universities and other educational institutes for the children of the acid attack survivors, are a couple of many things that the foundation plans for the welfare of the victims and their families.

The foundation also strives to assist acid attack survivors in getting employment by introducing vocational training through the SAMARPAN outlet or providing them ample financial support to help start their businesses. They also gather sufficient compensation for the victims by collaborating with the State Governments.

With the aid of jurists and partners, the foundation can to offers guidance and assistance to acid attack survivors in filing cases against their attacker. ASWWF prepared a ‘Situational Analysis Report on Acid Attack Violence’, which is one of its kind in India. The foundation also delivers assistance in the prescription of national guidelines for the treatment, aftercare, and rehabilitation of survivors.

The causes of acid attacks are aplenty such as domestic violence, inexpensive and uncomplicated availability of acid, peer envy, and vengeance by rejected lovers. The social stigmatization that comes from years of male domineering society, and women being treated as properties of men, along with “defending” the honor of the family to retaliate against rebellious women, are probably the most common triggers for an acid attack. We, as a society, need to take a firm initiative and open up more organizations and campaigns against acid attacks, try and eradicate this evil act as well as ensure the perpetrators receive severe punishment.