Acid attacks on women are widely used in South Asia. And they are almost never punished. In Pakistan alone, around 150 incidents are recorded annually. A beauty salon is the contact point for the walk back to life for many victims.
The noble beauty salon located in a posh suburb of the Pakistani metropolis of Lahore. It’s just lunch. The staff sits on the top floor together at lunch. The petite Aisha would like to belong. The 26-year-old is the first time today because: “I used to hide my face, but I do not any more,” Aisha says confidently.
From her left eye constantly flowing tears. Aisha cannot close. The eyelids are so sca
rred that they are folded outwards and as raw meat look like this: “God gives me the strength to endure I want to do it.”. The culprit was her husband. He aimed right in the face. The acid ate after the attack in Aisha’s skin and in her left cheekbone. Where the corrosive weapon hit the scalp, today no longer grow hair.
As a beautician Aisha wants to learn how to make other women more beautiful. “I live again today with my parents in the village. Sometimes they help me; sometimes they are ashamed of me. They are poor. It is not easy. I want to earn my own money to get treatment my face on. I want to their own two feet and achieve something in my life. Unfortunately, I was allowed to go only up to the seventh grade in school. I wanted to be a teacher. I was 14 when my family has married me. ”
Easy to acquire sulfuric and hydroelectric acid
The family needed money urgently after a bad harvest. Aisha had a much older man to marry, they beat and abused. Again and again until he attacked with acid in 2011. Sulfuric or hydroelectric acid can easily get in Pakistan. Both substances are used in agriculture; the sale will hardly be controlled.
Aisha has lost part of her face; her husband is on the loose. “It makes me incredibly angry that women as I know no justice But I say me that people with one another cannot deliver justice not in Pakistan, because we. Do not have a good justice system. Here only counts the money and that you’re a man. Then you can buy justice. ”
Encounter with the “woman without a face”
Massarat Misbah listens to Aisha. It is one of the most famous stylists Pakistan. Masarrat makeup the rich and famous from the film and music industry, politics and economy. Botox can have everything up to the chemical peel. The gray-haired beauty has 35 Beauty Salons in Pakistan. She comes from a rich family and lived a carefree, luxurious life until that day in 2003 on which a fully veiled woman late at night, entered shortly before completing, Massarat largest beauty salon in Lahore and begged for help.
When she threw back her veil, I had to sit down. In front of me stood a woman without a face, “she recalls,” I get today Goosebumps when I think of it. She lacked an eye, she had no nose. Her chin was her rooted by scarring on the chest. I had to sit down, my knees were shaking, “says Masarrat. She was not at night to sleep and rolled around herself. Her first encounter with the survivors of an acid attack has changed their lives forever.
Building a Foundation
“After about a week, then I put an ad in the newspaper to access other victims of acid or kerosene attacks to get in touch with me. I put a date on a free medical examination. That day 42 girls and women. They came from all over Pakistan. they came to me. I have to sit back and thought ‘oh my God.’ “In the beginning Masarrat collected donations to enable those concerned operations with friendly plastic surgeons. Meanwhile, it has become a foundation. And many of the nearly 600 women who have sought over the years at Masarrat help, have become their employees.
“I try to offer alternatives,” says Masarrat. It’s not that I want to make all women beauticians. But I also think that in every woman’s desire for beauty lies. Most women are vain. But the company finds it difficult to accept women as beauticians. Many customers come polite to me and ask me if they can have someone else for their treatment. But I tell them: You can select another salon, but these women have no choice. I also tell them: If treatment is not satisfactory, they have to pay anything. But my employees deserve a chance. Schau’ you are not in the face, schau’ on their work. ”
More than 100 operations
Sabra was among the first women to whom Masarrat helped. The 37-year-old now has more than 100 operations behind. The acid flung at her husband her, ate mainly in her neck and chest. The scarring constricted her throat. Sabra’s voice can imagine the pain she endured. She is hoarse and fastening. “At first I hardly endured the stares. I felt bad and ugly. But I survived as others. Masarrat, the new job, all this gives us confidence. We feel pretty normal. I also work for the government, I am as Gesund heitsauf klärerin go and am helping to vaccinate children. So I am every day among men. ”
Sabra does not want to look back. Her husband remained unpunished. Today she is a trained beautician and operates its own thriving salon. During one of their reconnaissance tour for the health authority they came in a small adobe house on spills Aisha. It was Sabra that Aisha has encouraged not to hide any longer.
