Acid Survivors & Women Welfare Foundation (ASWWF) collaborates with the West Bengal Federation of United Nations Associations (WEBFUNA) to launch their campaign Silence Will Not Protect Women.

This campaign aims to create awareness and combat the atrocious crimes of acid attacks. It also focuses on prevention, rehabilitation, and advocacy for survivors.

Manish Gupta, IAS (Retd), Former Member of Parliament, Hari Prasad Kanoria, Trustee, ASWWF, Sitaram Sharma, Chairman, WEBFUNA, and other eminent dignitaries launched this amazing initiative.

Statistics show that about 1500 acid attacks are happening yearly. The highest number of such incidents occurred in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Out of this, 65% of the victims are girls and women and the remaining 35% are boys and men. Love rejection, marriage, and sex proposals are the reasons for 32% of such attacks.

Also gracing the occasion were eminent guests like Alokananda Roy, eminent dancer, Santa Kundu, classical singer, Bobby Chakraborty, actor and activist, Imran Zaki, President of FACES, and many others.

Some of the acid attack survivors also were felicitated for their efforts.

To achieve its mission, the foundation has taken a four-step approach-

• providing care and support to acid attack victims
• conducting a community-based prevention program
• collaboration with NGOs and government organizations for assistance
• advocating for stricter legal measures against the perpetrators

With the help of such initiatives, acid attack victims and survivors can start their lives afresh.

Priyanka Dutta