Acid Attack Survivors of India - Reveal Magazine
In this week's Reveal, to coincide with International Woman's Day, I had the honour of writing about five beautiful women who are determined not to hide from the world. Acid attacks are prolific in India, where they are used as a means of revenge for reasons that would bewilder different cultures. Turning down a marriage proposal, disputes over land, not providing a son. It's a tragedy, but one that shows little sign of being resolved. The Indian government claims to offer £3500 to acid attack survivors - only five are known to have received this. In reality, medical assistance, surgery and treatment costs nearly £50,000.Many women are so horrified by their scars they spend years refusing to leave the house. But times are changing. Stop Acid Attacks is a charity determined to give survivors their lives back, and give those lives meaning. We covered the story of five survivors launching a cafe, Sheroes Hangout, their smiles beaming from happy faces. The world is full of bad people doing terrible things, but stories like this remind us that the world is full of beauty and wonder too.To support the cafe, please visit stopacidattacks.org