I highly recommend reading the article below,, written by Kinjal Pandya as it is an excellent story to be shared. Being raised an Indian girl myself I do empathize with her.
Many Indian girls are abused daily from their in-laws and family by burning them in the kitchen and hurting them with propane(Acid Attacks) leaving them broken and not a good future.
This story holds true as don’t judge a book by its cover. May, Laxmi Saa be blessed with many happy healthy years and success in her career along with a happy life with her husband and children.
In this Aug. 4, 2014 photo provided by Rahul Saharan, Indian acid attack victim Laxmi, 22, poses during a fashion photo shoot in New Delhi, India. Laxmi was 15 years old when she was attacked by her brother’s 32-year-old friend after she refused his marriage proposal. The fashion photo shoot featuring five acid attack victims is drawing wide attention in India, where open discussions about violence against woman are drawing attention to a long-ignored public scourge. (AP Photo/Rahul Saharan)
Indian acid attack survivor is new face of fashion brand,
- 13 January 2016
Image copyrightViva N DivaAn Indian fashion retail brand has signed up prominent acid attack survivor and campaigner Laxmi Saa to be the face of its new range of designer outfits for women, in a campaign they are calling “Face of Courage”.
Ms Saa was 15 when a 32-year-old man threw acid at her for rejecting his offer of marriage.
“It felt cold first. Then I felt an intense burning. Then the liquid melted my skin,” she remembers about the attack.
Since then, she has become one of India’s most outspoken advocates against the unregulated sale of acid, as well as for harsher punishment for the perpetrators of acid attacks.
“This opportunity to represent an apparel brand was a platform for me to set an example for women like me to be confident and have courage despite their physical appearances. This was also a platform for me to send a clear message to criminals that women will not lose courage even after they are attacked with acid to destroy their physical beauty,” Ms Saa told the BBC.
Image copyrightViva N Diva
Image copyrightViva N DivaAccording to one estimate by the Acid Survivors Trust International, there could be as many as 1,000 acid attacks every year in India alone, many of which go unreported.
Despite this, the country does not have any specific law to prosecute acid attackers.
However in 2013, the Supreme Court of India acted on a petition filed by Ms Saa and directed state governments to formulate a policy to regulate over-the-counter sale of acid in India.
The apparel company Viva N Diva, for which Ms Saa is modelling, said it chose her out of a desire to change the outlook of people towards fashion and beauty by spreading awareness that beauty is beyond mere physical attributes.
Ms Saa agrees that there need to be wider conversations on the issue.
“The problem is not just in being a victim but also your victimisation by the society. We are treated as if we are good for nothing and as if our lives are a waste,” she said.
Image copyrightViva N DivaCo-founder of Viva N Diva, Rupesh Jhawar, told the BBC that the idea for the campaign with Ms Saa came after he saw a calendar featuring acid attack survivors.
“To my eyes that are used to seeing fashion models with flawless skins dolled up in front of the cameras everyday, this view was both disturbing and inspiring.
“For a moment I had seen beauty in a very different way and we wanted to capture it – remove any speck of being a victim from those eyes and give them a stage, an employment, a platform, a medium to flaunt it with style.”