Acid throwing as one of the acts of Gender-based violence

Acid violence has horrendously devastated the lives of many young women. However, underreporting has belittled this graver issue.

Ambreen Yousuf

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either result in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation. Violence occurs in different forms and is perpetuated in countless ways.

Women are subjected to various forms of violence ranging from physical, sexual, mental, and psychological. Gender-based violence (GBV) (particularly violence against women and girls) that, according to a World Bank report, affects 1 in 3 women are widespread yet least discussed human rights violation in the world. GBV includes physical, sexual, mental, or economic harm inflicted on a person. Intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, trafficking for sexual exploitation, female infanticide, Acid violence, and honour killings are some of the most common manifestations of GBV.

This article briefly examines the physical and psychological impacts of Gender-based violence on women and girls. The focus is on understanding Acid Attacks in the context of Gender-based violence.

Understanding Violence Against Women

The UN declaration on violence against Women, adopted in 1993, defines violence against women as encompassing “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or sufferings to women, including the threat of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life”. Inequity or gender discrimination traces the roots of violence somewhere in cultural factors. However, new patterns of violence have emerged across all the cultural, economic, political, and social boundaries. The unending violence looming in many countries is not carried out by the individuals alone; states have also become perpetrators of gender-based violence especially in situations of armed conflicts. Some states target the female population to enforce ethnic change in the rival states. For instance, rape and forced pregnancy are used as a weapon to inflict violence upon the womenfolk. Some women face displacement and illegal trafficking and are sexually exploited.

Acid Throwing as a Raging Menace

In recent times, the scope of gender-based violence has been broadened to include acid throwing as one of the acts of Gender-based violence. Acid throwing is becoming increasingly commonplace, involving the deliberate act of throwing or spraying acid into the faces’ of victims. It leaves the victims with lifelong physical injuries/scars followed by unimaginable mental sufferings. Acids are highly corrosive and show an immediate reaction. Therefore, if a small amount of acid is thrown on the body it seeps deep inside the body and thereby permanently damaging muscles and bones. Acid violence is being reported in almost every corner of the world. The cases are mostly reported from scores of countries including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, China, United States, Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and India. The motive of acid attacks varies considerably based on culture and country of origin. For instance, political motivations drive acid attacks in Iran with homicidal intent towards government officials. In Jamaica, the act is often driven by marriage disputes and jealousy. In some South Asian countries, males are the perpetrators of acid violence, but this is exceptional in the case of Cambodia and the United States. In Cambodia, women are the perpetrators who attack the mistresses of their husbands and are both perpetrators and victims, whereas in the United States men are the victims and females are the perpetrators of this crime.

Acid violence in India

In India, patriarchy remains the sole and motivating factor behind the acid attacks. Various researches have revealed that the majority of acid attacks take place out of hostility which may be driven by multiple motives. Furthermore, the country is yet to achieve gender equity and violence against women and girls remains predominant in all forms.  The acid attacks are clearly on the rise in India. However, the exact number of attacks is not known due to underreporting by the victims. The number of acid attacks in rural areas does not get registered. The acid violence in India is often associated with the rejection of marriage proposals, relationships, dowry issues/domestic violence, and in the least cases family feud or a land dispute. According to USA Today, around 250-300 acid attacks are being reported every year in India. As there is a clear case of under-reporting, one can imagine what the actual numbers are.

Acid violence has devastated the lives of many young women. However, underreporting has belittled this graver issue. The majority of the attacks that have occurred in the past were directed against females. Many women have lost their lives, some are battling life-long injuries and scars on their bodies. The acid violence survivors are compelled to avoid social interactions as they suffer social ostracism and are treated as social pariahs.

Cases related to acid attacks

• In 2005, a 16-year-old girl namely LaxmiAgarwal was attacked by a 32-year-old man when she rejected his proposal. She was buying books when the horrific incident took place. She underwent seven complicated surgeries over the years. The incident has transformed Laxmi into a self-reliant woman while motivating her in spirit to fight back. But Laxmi’s case is different from the rest of acid violence survivors. Usually, acid violence victims face deep mental and health problems, isolation and marginalisation.
• Vimlawas was injured in an acid attack carried out by some unidentified men. Besides being an acid survivor, she is also a gang-rape victim. She was attacked on several occasions and was forced to drink acid.
• Reshma Qureshi, a 17-year-old girl was attacked at a railway station while she was returning to her home.
• Anmol Rodriguez was only 2 years old when her father threw acid on her mother. Her mother died immediately, while she suffered severe burn injuries.
• Arifa (name changed), was Kashmir’s first acid victim. She was a teacher in a preparatory school and her perpetrator wanted to marry her and she rejected his proposal. The incident damaged her face badly including her left eye.
• A 20-year-old law student from Srinagar was attacked with acid by a group of boys. In another case, Gulzar Ahmed, a 22-year-old college student was attacked with acid in 2002 and the horrific incident deformed his nose and eyes. Gulzar has lost his eyesight and is suffering from many health issues including depression.

Despite the ban on the sale of acids, the chemical substance is freely available in the market and can be purchased by anyone. “In 2009 the National Commission for Women had proposed a Scheme for Relief and Rehabilitation of Offences (by Acids) on Women and Children, which emphasised disbursing Rs 50,000 for a victim’s treatment immediately after an acid attack. Since then the cost of treatment varies depending on the nature of injuries, the disbursement can go up to 25 lakh and around 2 lakhs will be entitled to the legal heir as compensation. But the provisions have not been implemented yet”.

The acid victims in India continue to receive unacceptable treatment from society as well as in hospitals. Some victims do not receive proper medical treatment while some are mistreated, as reported by the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice in 2011.

Underlying factors and consequences of Acid throwing attacks in India

A proper medical treatment remains one of the major challenges for acid attack victims either due to lack of specialized burn hospitals or absence of specialized doctors. Some of the other challenges indirectly associated with acid violence are: if the victim dies immediately after the acid attack, the incident never gets reported. It has been also found that if the perpetrator happens to be the husband or a relative of the victim then the victim is prevented from reporting and the case is dismissed within the family to save the accused from punishment.

Conclusion

The easy availability of acids in the markets is one of the major factors leading to acid violence. It is important to raise awareness about the use and misuse of acids to combat acid violence. The government must enact laws and implement stringent measures to penalise the sale and purchase of acid.

The government must also provide timely compensation to the acid victims to ensure that they receive proper treatment. It is very important to rehabilitate acid attack victims since the attacker aims to kill a woman’s aspiration to live a life of her choice. As acid violence is often used as a means to attack a woman’s appearance, it affects the mental and emotional strength of women. The treatment meted out to victims of the acid violence scars them for life and breaks down their confidence in the ability to feel accepted in their own communities and social circles. As a gesture to ensure a safe environment and future for women, it is imperative to find a solution to arrest this trend to stand against Gender-Based Violence.

 References

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialsustainability/brief/violence-against-women-and-girls

https://www.unicef.org/protection/gender-based-violence-in-emergencies

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/07/27/acid-attacks-women-india-survivors-fight-back/486007001/

I Lived On But Many Women Can’t; So Help Me Stop This: Acid Attack Survivor

Acid Attack: Disfiguring the face of the society

https://www.deccanherald.com/content/307651/kashmiri-womens-first-brush-acid.html

https://www.firstpost.com/india/acid-attack-injures-21-year-old-girl-kashmir-1845233.html

https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/newsdetail/index/9/18332/ordeal-continues-for-kashmirs-first-known-acid-attack-victim

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23391458?ab_segments=0%252Fbasic_search_solr_cloud%252Fcontrol&refreqid=excelsior%3A245f6e90302b7ce643d6f6e722ad9e7c