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PHOTO: Reshma Qureshi lost vision in one eye when her brother-in-law and his friends attacker her with acid. (ABC News: Siobhan Heanue)
Reshma Qureshi was just 17 and on her way to a school exam when a group of men threw acid on her face.
Key points:
- About 300 acid attacks are reported in India each year
- Survivor advocates say the number of attacks is probably close to 1,000
- India has the highest incidence of acid attacks in the world
Her older sister's abusive husband and two of his relatives were behind the attack.
"I had not even heard of acid attacks before," said Ms Qureshi, now 23.
"I came to know that there are many acid attack victims in India after I got attacked."
Ms Qureshi refuses to hide her face the way many acid victims in India are expected to.
Instead she is an advocate for fellow victims.
Ms Qureshi has released beauty vlogs, teaching survivors how to do the perfect cat eye and red lip — while also raising awareness about the scourge of acid attacks.
She was invited to model at New York Fashion Week in 2016 and has published a memoir.
But despite her brush with the world of high fashion, she still doesn't have what she really wants: a job.
"Here in India people react differently if I walk on the street without covering my face. They ask questions, stare at you and talk badly," she said.
"In the US people always smile at you. They never ask what happened to you, your face."
Ms Qureshi said many acid victims were attacked by their own husbands and needed to support their children.
"I appeal to companies to give them jobs. Do not reject them because of their disfigured faces," she said.
PHOTO: Reshma Qureshi before she was attacked with acid by her brother-in-law. (Supplied: Reshma Qureshi )
Women find acceptance in survivors' sanctuary
Ms Qureshi now works with a charity offering accommodation, support and legal advice to acid victims in New Delhi.
Make Love, Not Scars runs a shelter home for women whose lives have been destroyed by a crime that is on the rise in India.
PHOTO: Ms Qureshi and fellow survivor Soni get support from Make Love, Not Scars in New Delhi. (ABC News: Siobhan Heanue)
About 300 cases are reported each year, but the real figure is probably closer to 1,000 according to Tania Singh, the CEO of Make Love, Not Scars.
The number of attacks is rising steadily in India.
"This could mean two things; number one that people are feeling braver and stronger and they come out and report the crime," Ms Singh said.
"Or number two, that more potential attackers are getting influenced, learning about acid and committing the crime."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-24/indian-acid-victims-want-to-break-down-social-stigma/11428952
