WUNRN
Jahanara and Rupali - Friends in pain and trauma - Surivors of brutal acid attacks by their husbands over dowry issues.
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Bangladesh - Rupali had a dream of a happy marriage. She was given a nice wedding with a motorcycle as dowry.
But her dream of living happily ever after, was shattered just after six months of her marriage. Her husband and her mother-in-law put pressure on her to bring more money from her parents. As Rupali’s parents could not give more money, her husband and her mother-in law-both were giving her hard time to complete the daily chores. She had to work from early morning to late night and was not allowed to meet her husband during the day.
One night when Rupali wanted to go to her parent’s house to visit, her husband and het mother-in-law both started to argue with her and then started to beat her. During this beating her mother-in-law hold her hands behind her back, and her husband poured acid into Rupali's mouth.
Neighbors rescued Rupali and brought her to a nearby Heaklth Complex where doctors could not provide even first aid. She was then taken to Dhaka Medical Collage Hospital, and Acid Survivors Foundation of Bangladesh
http://www.acidsurvivors.org/ found her dying as her parents could not buy medicine for her.
ASF took the responsibility of her treatment and brought her ito thr ASF Hospital where after six moths she was able to talk again. The first thing she said is what happened to her husband and was happy to know that he is in jail. Finally he got life imprisonment . Now Rupali is working in a beauty salon and living independently.
Jahana was also attacked with acid because of dowry.
Every year 5% of the total acid attacked people get burns for dowry related disputes. Over 70% women and children are attacked with acid every year in Bangladesh.
Acid Attacks are one of the worst forms of gender-based violence.
ASF has been successful to reduce the attack trend since 2003. In the year 2002 a total number of 490 people were attacked with acid. But in the year 2009 it came down to 145. This reflects combined work of Bangladesh Government and the civil society. ASF was instrumental to act as a change maker to bring long term change in the attitudes of men towards women in a society where women’s status is subordinate of men.
Men’s violence against women is a major problem for social
and economic development of the country. According to WHO multi country study
conducted in the year 2005, 57% women in Bangladesh suffer either or both
physical or sexual violence.