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I Took Portraits Of Acid Attacks Survivors In India
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I Took Portraits Of Acid Attacks Survivors In India

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Sheroes Hangout, founded in Agra in December 2014, is the first café in India run by acid attack survivors.

Many girls have been attacked when they were teenagers, by relatives because of a family argument, by men whose marriage proposals were rejected, and other reasons. Being a woman in India can be difficult, and even more after such a trauma. Thanks to Sheroes Hangout, they are now able to be independent and make their dreams come true.

The story of these pictures is a personal journey. I went to India doing some research about grassroots charities (I’m a sociology student) and a friend of mine told me about Sheroes Hangout. There is a natural process of the human mind: it gets puzzled when it cannot recognize a face but I wanted to challenge that. I learned Hindi four months before my travel and went specially to Agra for meeting them.

At the first conversation I had with Ritu, I was struggling with my Hindi. She was finishing all my sentences as she knew what I was trying to say and immediately, there was just a heart to heart connection and I just felt I was talking to one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. The images are the result of a relation of friendship I have cultivated during weeks with the girls. My aim was to express this connection in pictures for people to see beyond the scars.

Sheroes Hangout does not receive any funds from the government and all their activities are crowdfunded. If you go see the Taj Mahal, please remember to have a meal with them!

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More info: sheroeshangout.com

Being a woman in India can be difficult

Many girls have been attacked with acid when they were teenagers

By relatives because of a family argument, by men whose marriage proposals were rejected, and other reasons

Sheroes Hangout, founded in Agra in December 2014, is the first café in India run by acid attack survivors

ADVERTISEMENT

The story of these pictures is a personal journey

I went to India doing some research about grassroots charities and a friend of mine told me about Sheroes Hangout

Human mind gets puzzled when it cannot recognize a face but I wanted to challenge that

ADVERTISEMENT

I learned Hindi four months before my travel and went specially to Agra for meeting them

At the first conversation I had with Ritu, I was struggling with my Hindi

ADVERTISEMENT

But there was just a heart to heart connection and I just felt I was talking to one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met

The images are the result of a relation of friendship I have cultivated during those weeks with the girls. My aim was to express this connection in pictures for people to see beyond the scars

Thanks to Sheroes Hangout, they are now able to be independent and make their dreams come true

ADVERTISEMENT

 

 

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salistyrin_salla avatar
MongBlong
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These series of portrait got me stunned for minutes. You had done an amazing job and the girls was so really strong from they eyes inside out.

adriantaylor avatar
AdrianTaylor
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The fact that someone could do this over a rejection or family argument makes me see so much red!!

terri-gold-3 avatar
TerriGold
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The men who did this and still do this ought to be subjected to the same treatment. I am horrified that it's not seen as a crime against humanity by their government. Congratulations to the wonderful photographer for honoring these injured women. Congratulations to the women for having the strength and courage to continue after such abuse.

don_l_guild avatar
DonGuild
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For a woman to survive such a horrible thing and still find it in herself to smile is amazing.

mbutrick1 avatar
MichelleButrick
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

these women are a wonderful beauty and strength to everyone. and it just shows the disgust of some people who feel they can harm someone because that someone won't conform. love these women they are great

ici97 avatar
DeborahFreese
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Keep showing these images and stories, eventually the guilty will be condemned and sentenced.

lyone_fein avatar
LyoneFein
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you so much for sharing the story of these womens struggle and triumph.

ayanaibajo avatar
CessIbajo
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for sharing this. There so much heart in this project by these women and you as the artist.

roswitha_czeikowitz avatar
Roswitha
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bravo für diese Arbeit was haben diese Frauen erleben müßen

daveclark avatar
DavidClark
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's done in Islamic countries along with FGM but feminists still support them.

salistyrin_salla avatar
MongBlong
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These series of portrait got me stunned for minutes. You had done an amazing job and the girls was so really strong from they eyes inside out.

adriantaylor avatar
AdrianTaylor
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The fact that someone could do this over a rejection or family argument makes me see so much red!!

terri-gold-3 avatar
TerriGold
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The men who did this and still do this ought to be subjected to the same treatment. I am horrified that it's not seen as a crime against humanity by their government. Congratulations to the wonderful photographer for honoring these injured women. Congratulations to the women for having the strength and courage to continue after such abuse.

don_l_guild avatar
DonGuild
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For a woman to survive such a horrible thing and still find it in herself to smile is amazing.

mbutrick1 avatar
MichelleButrick
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

these women are a wonderful beauty and strength to everyone. and it just shows the disgust of some people who feel they can harm someone because that someone won't conform. love these women they are great

ici97 avatar
DeborahFreese
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Keep showing these images and stories, eventually the guilty will be condemned and sentenced.

lyone_fein avatar
LyoneFein
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you so much for sharing the story of these womens struggle and triumph.

ayanaibajo avatar
CessIbajo
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for sharing this. There so much heart in this project by these women and you as the artist.

roswitha_czeikowitz avatar
Roswitha
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bravo für diese Arbeit was haben diese Frauen erleben müßen

daveclark avatar
DavidClark
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's done in Islamic countries along with FGM but feminists still support them.

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