To leave someone scarred for life is to silently torture someone once, but cause them to scream in pain forever. It is to shatter their confidence, leaving them traumatized, in such a devastating state that the damage is internal, external and eternal. They shall spend the rest of their life in this condition. Even if they recover from the shock, they will fail to put together the fragments of their confidence that was shattered with merely one jolt. One jolt that cannot only unnerve them but also shake their whole lives, and sometimes their whole existence. The term “domestic violence” is used to define a wide variety of aggressive or violent acts exhibited within the boundaries of a house. They are centered on two goals, to rage upon the other for personal satisfaction, or to present unacceptability towards a certain thing by exhibiting such attitude. To say any one of these causes is more common would be tough, for it requires in-depth analysis to make any such judgement. But it wouldn’t be wrong to say that out of all the forms this violence takes, including verbal, physical and sexual, there is one in particular which probably has the most devastating effects on the victim, acid attacks. This sort of violence against women cannot be limited by the definition of domestic violence, since many times the victim has no biological relationship with the abuser at all. But here acid attacks shall be discussed as a form of domestic violence only, and domestic violence will be characterized as violence exhibited by any member of the victim’s family, not only the spouse.
A splash of sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid or any other similar corrosive substance or chemical, on the victim’s face, body or both, is enough to change the victim’s entire life within a moment. The aim of the attack is to of course to either mar, torment or murder the victim. She rejected your proposal? She refused to indulge in an intimate relationship in accordance with your choice? How could she dare to do that? Well then if she can’t be your partner, she definitely doesn’t deserve to be anyone else’s. Burn her! That is precisely how one could sum up the thinking process of most of the attackers in the case of vitriol attacks. This is the type of violence women face both as part of, or outside the category of domestic violence, depending on their relationship with the abuser. In case of marriage proposals, the girl’s own family may be the one victimizing her through an acid attack, because they have been in support of the marriage she has refused. In case of reluctance to indulge in intimate relationships, her own husband may be the abuser, because his wife characterizes his behavior as marital rape, and refuses to be victimized in that sense. Gender inequality and low level of female empowerment is one of the main reasons these women are victimized so easily. These patriarchal societies do not believe women have the right to make choices for themselves.
Vitriolage is not an issue restricted within certain geographical boundaries. But it is true that despite the fact that acid attacks have been reported in numerous nations, South Asia and Africa account for two of the main regions, where the rate at which this crime is committed, has been reported to be higher in comparison to other regions. This is why organizations like ASTI have been working specifically in these areas. The Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), a charity organization founded in 2002, aims to end vitriol attacks around the globe. It has been working with partner organizations in six different countries including, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, Nepal, Uganda and India. It has also worked with UN agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations, for its cause. Clark, the former senior editor at the PLOS Medicine and the former assistant director at BMJ, in his article published in 2014 quotes, “The Acid Survivors Trust International estimates there are approximately 1,500 acid attacks a year globally. The Acid Survivors Foundation reported about 300 attacks per year in Bangladesh and declining, but in India, Cambodia, Pakistan, parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South America, they are understood to be increasing (Clark).” The staggering figures in these areas are self-explanatory. These patriarchal societies, which are far behind the world according to educational standards, have failed to acknowledge the rights of a woman. The lack of educational opportunities can be considered a reason for such animalistic behavior exhibited by the males in these regions, and the reluctance of women to stand up for themselves despite being constantly targeted.
Sometimes failure to abide by religious or cultural customs is also presented as an excuse by abusers to carry out such attacks. It would be wrong to say that the attacks are initiated by religious values, but it wouldn’t be wrong to say that many times the abuser attacks the victim because the victim refuses to comply with certain regulations. It is to be noted that even in such cases where the victim is guilty for not complying with religious rules, there is no religious evidence found in support of such an attack being carried out on the victim. The abuser may have issues with the victim’s beliefs, but is certainly not permitted by the religion to carry out a vitriol attack. In most cases, the reason is described as not obeying religious norms, but in the background those customs that the abuser expects the victim to abide by are more culturally rather than religiously initiated. In countries like Pakistan, the state government has based its law on religious values. Sexual activities out of wedlock are considered a sin, and a woman has a choice in marriage but cannot marry without the presence of her father, unless he has died or is not in the mental condition to make any decision. People often exploit these rules. In the first case, they falsely accuse women of characterlessness. Even in cases where the woman may be found to be guilty of having a sexual relationship despite being unmarried or having an extramarital relationship, this is not the prescribed method of punishment according to religious standards. In the second case, even though the religion itself asks for the bride-to-be’s consent, most of the families choose not to consult the bride-to-be in the decision about her marriage. This decision to not consult her has nothing to do with religious customs; rather it is solely dependent on man-made cultural customs. This act of not consulting the bride-to-be, can end up in the bride choosing to elope. But then again whatever the reason may be, the family chooses to punish the girl, in their own self-proclaimed ways. The country’s law defines honor killings as murder and thus prohibits them, which is why many resort to vitriolage too. Sometimes the acid used is so corrosive that even if the intention was to only cause damage to the victim, the damage ends up being so severe that the victim cannot survive.
Apart from these intentions, there are many others that instigate these attackers to victimize and terrorize women. Dowry, which traditionally was a form of a gift that the parents of the bride-to-be presented to their daughter and her future family, has now become sort of a compulsion for the bride’s family to pay to their daughter’s in-laws. In many cases, giving dowry is a condition for the marriage to take place, or giving it makes the girl more liable to get married. Insufficient or delayed payment of dowry is a main reason why many women become victims of domestic violence post-marriage. Acid throwing is one form of this violence. Swapna’s case below from Karnataka, India is just one example of such an occurrence.
Swapna, a bus driver’s eldest daughter, married her father’s co-worker at age 19. For dowry, Swapna and her family gave her husband Rs. 40,000 ($850 USD) and some gold, but her husband asked for more. Her parents were unable to fulfil the dowry demands. Swapna’s husband and mother-in-law began abusing Swapna, and on one occasion placed hot irons on the palms of her hands. One night, Swapna’s husband fed her sleeping pills, and after she fell asleep he poured acid on her. She was able to protect her face from the acid, but she suffered burns on her chest and stomach (Ertürk).”
Even though rape cannot be defined as a direct cause of acid attacks, in certain cases it may become one. In many rape cases the rapists choose to torture the victim even after sexually assaulting them. Acid attack is one of the torture techniques these abusers use. Rape as it is most commonly discussed is considered a part of non-domestic violence. To talk of rape as a cause of vitriol attacks where acid attacks are being discussed as a form of domestic violence, may not make sense to one initially, but it is important to note that rape can be characterized as domestic violence too. Land and property disputes are a reason for acid attacks too. But in the case of women it is highly uncommon that a case be reported for such a reason, since in these patriarchal societies most of the women are denied of their property rights. In some cases the cause of this horrendous behavior has also been explained as retaliation for the act of a girl going to school. Failure to obey the commands of a drunken husband is yet another example.
No matter what the reason, abuse itself cannot be justified, but in the case of acid attacks, undeniably highly unacceptable. It is an extreme form of abuse with effects that are not only highly devastating, but also majorly irreversible. The pain these victims go through when corrosive substances are spilled upon them is in itself an extreme form of torture that cannot be defined in words. The disfigured faces, burnt tissues, exposed and dissolved bones, explain for themselves that the act is above all forms of torture. Many of these women belong to households below the poverty line and cannot even afford the required treatment. Even if they can, no treatment can enable them to be the person they were before this incident, both physically and mentally. In many cases the damages are so severe that they can hamper bodily functions or even the seven senses. Blindness, breathing problems, deafness and inability to be able to communicate properly are amongst the many effects of acid attacks. Many victims cannot escape the trauma of what has happened. For others the trauma itself shatters their confidence to a level that they are not ready to face the outside world; additionally the medically treated but still majorly disfigured bodies cause them to fear the questionable looks that may fall upon them. For many the fear of being targeted or being victimized again also chases them, as in many cases the abuser is either not caught or is set free due to lack of evidence against him. The worst of these effects is the psychological depression they go through. Even though all victims of acid attacks face depression, at least to some extent, for some it’s way worse. This usually happens in cases where the victim is forced to live with the abuser again (if he is set free) or his family, due to the fact that many of these women are not independent enough to earn a living of their own. They are dependent on their family (in case of an unmarried girl her own family or in the case of a married woman her in-laws and husband). One of the worst effects of this whole matter is the deadly combination of depression and isolation. If the society doesn’t choose to completely abandon the victims, it chooses to slowly distance from them at a time when they are in need of care and attention. The victims end up in seclusion, and the trauma of what has happened to them already eats up what little confidence, they had to cope with the whole situation. This situation completely tarnishes any possibilities for the victim to be able to recover, or at least recover fast.
As mentioned before, organizations like ASTI are playing a key role in helping and aiding both the current victims of acid attacks and those that have been attacked before. They not only provide medical treatment but psychological help and shelter for the victims too. Namely organizations like Chhanv in India and social workers like Mussarat Misbah in Pakistan, have been working in order to assist these victims, help them recover from the shock, and also support them as they step into a new life by providing them job opportunities. The efforts of such organizations have indeed led to positive results in helping the survivors. The excerpt from an article published in gov.uk quotes the experience of one such survivor in Bangladesh, and how she has not only recovered from her trauma, but now is also helping to raise awareness about acid attacks. After being unable to receive the right treatment because of resource constraints at a government hospital, ASF came to Hasina’s rescue providing two months post-operative nursing care for free. Sadly her ordeal did not end there - even the best treatment couldn’t remove all trace of the acid attack. On returning home she discovered the social stigma of being disfigured. Once again she found support from ASF… Hasina’s interest in joining the legal unit of ASF as an intern helped her take back control of her life and seek justice. Hasina has participated in many awareness raising campaigns arranged by the ASF and these lobby efforts by the foundation have encouraged the Government of Bangladesh to introduce into law the District Acid Control Committees (DACC) and the National Acid Control Council (NACC). The NACC and DACC control acid crimes by mandating stringent punishment ranging from between three to 15 years imprisonment and a hefty fine, life imprisonment to a maximum statement of death penalty. The Bangladeshi social welfare department along with ASF is working together to address acid attacks and bring the number of incidents to a halt. (Department for International Development and DFID Bangladesh)
It is tough to say that the issue can be eradicated as a whole altogether, but with the support of such organizations and the government the issue can indeed be tackled, and the victims can receive support. Human Rights Organizations and NGO’s around the world are stressing upon the need for stronger legislation. Due to these efforts progress has already been made, “Lower House of Parliament in Pakistan unanimously passed the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill On May 10, 2011. As punishment, according to the bill individuals held responsible for acid throwing face harsh fines and life in prison (Stop Acid Attacks).
As stated before, the fact that most of these cases occur in the rural areas where educational facilities are poor, and women empowerment scale is low, it is important that we concentrate on these factors too. It is important for us to educate both young boys and girls about the effects of acid throwing on the victim’s life. Awareness about these effects may not only lead to boys understanding that masculinity does not lie within overpowering women, but also will help girls learn how to protect themselves. Girls need to be educated to stand up for themselves. They need to understand that the more subservient one appears to be, the more people will try to trample you. It is important to teach girls that they are not anyone’s possession, and that they are not objects of pleasure, which do not have the power to refuse if they do not wish to be indulged in such activities. Dowry itself is a crime and it is important for girls to understand that they should not let themselves be victimized for not committing a crime. Girl’s need to be taught to be independent, so that if they face victimization they can stand up for their rights, rather than being bothered about being dependent on the abuser. They need to realize that as future mothers-to-be it is important that they teach their own sons to respect women too.
With such steps we cannot only both protect the victim, but also punish the abuser. The statistics of acid attacks are still quite alarming, and it is important that abundant and constant efforts are made in order to deal with this issue. The most basic step we can take is to understand the brutality of this act and spread awareness about it on a personal level too. It is important that we understand that a victim’s life doesn’t end after they are victimized. Just because we could not save them, it does not mean we do not help them further. The real challenge is to help these victims become successful survivors. It is time we understand our role as an individual in this process. A major part of the post attack trauma is the sort of treatment these victims receive from those around them. It is important that we understand the sensitivity of the situation, and deal with these victims accordingly. We cannot vow to change the entire matter overnight. But at least if we vow to make an effort intended to not let another woman face what Swapna faced, and facilitate every other victim like Hasina in their battle post the attack, we can bring about a positive change.
Works Cited
Clark, Jocalyn. “Acid Violence – A Most Horrific Form of Denigration of Women”. PLOSBlog.org. 22 April 2014 http://blogs.plos.org/speakingofmedicine/2014/04/22/acid-violence-horrific-form-denigration-women/. Accessed 11 October 2016
Department for International Development and DFID Bangladesh. “Case Study From Acid Victim To Activist: Hasina's Courageous Journey”. gov.uk. 22 March 2013. https://www.gov.uk/ government/case-studies/from-acid-victim-to-activist-hasinas-courageous-journey. Accessed 11 October 2016
Ertürk, Yakin. “Combating Acid Violence In Bangladesh, India, And Cambodia”. Avon Global Center for Women and Justice at Cornell Law School, the Committee on International Human Rights of the New York City Bar Association, the Cornell Law School International Human Rights Clinic, and the Virtue Foundation.http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/cedaw_crc_contributions /AvonGlobalCenterforWomenandJustice.pdf. Accessed 11 October 2016
Stop Acid Attacks. “Reports”. stopacidattacks.org. 05 March 2013. http://www.stopacidattacks.org/ 2013/ 03/ reports.html. Accessed 11 October 2016
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