5 Initiatives Taken For Welfare Of Acid Attack Survivors

Throwing acid at women is one of the cruellest acts of violence. Besides the physical scars, the survivors also suffer from long-term emotional trauma. But in a bid to better the lives of acid attack survivors, several initiatives are being taken up.

Let us look at some of them:

Employment at DCW

• In 2016, the Delhi Commission for Women employed two such survivors who would work with its ‘Acid Watch Cell’. DCW chief Swati Malliwal had announced, “One of them will be a part of the ‘Acid Watch Cell’ of the Delhi Commission for Women. Some of the priorities of the Acid Watch cell are ensuring acid attack victims get proper treatment as well as to follow up their cases in court,” reported PTI.

Free medical check-up

• The Delhi government chalked out guidelines that help survivors of road accidents, acid attacks and thermal burn injuries get cashless treatment. As per the guidelines, survivors will have the facility to get medical checkup done free of cost. But this will be applicable only to the incidents taking place in the capital.

Also read: The ardent feminist: 17-year-old Kaanchi’s art for acid attack survivors

Employment at Delhi High Court

• The Delhi High Court broke the norm and decided to hire five acid attack survivors and a person from the transgender community. The decision came after the Delhi State Legal Services Authority brought their plight to the notice of the Acting Chief Justice, Gita Mittal.

Survivors covered in Disability Act

• The Centre announced 14 new categories of physical and mental disabilities under one umbrella term of Disability Act 2016.

The present Disability Act provides benefits to only seven categories of people who face or are suffering from mental retardation, mental illness, blindness, locomotive, leprosy, low vision and hearing impairment

UN Award for NGO

• Ria Sharma, a young woman who started an NGO called Make Love Not Scars (MLNS) to help acid attacks survivors get on with their lives, bagged the UN’s Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards. Global Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, Priyanka Chopra, handed over the award to Sharma in New York on Sept 19. Ria is the only Indian to get this award. The 26-year-old Delhi girl’s efforts towards acid attack victims had earned her the coveted honour.