IndiaSpend Contributor Sneha Richhariya Wins Laadli Award
Our series on the journey of acid attack survivors won recognition at the annual Laadli Media Awards
Mumbai: We are happy to announce that IndiaSpend contributor Sneha Richhariya has won the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity 2024 announced on September 5 in Thane.
The awards are an initiative of Population First, a Mumbai-based social impact organisation, supported by the United Nations Population Fund.
Richhariya’s three-part series focused on the lives of acid attack survivors in India. The National Crime Records Bureau recorded 1,066 acid attacks in the five years from 2017 to 2021. Of these, over 60% of the victims were women. Organisations, such as the Acid Survivors Trust International, say these numbers are underreported; the real number is likely to exceed 1,000 attacks a year. Around a third of the victims (31%) suffer complete or partial blindness, experts estimate.
The first part of the series told the story of Rani, who was attacked with acid in 2009, left paralysed and blind. The last 14 years have been a battle for Rani to regain part of her vision, and her life. “This is a battle that strips you and your family of everything,” she told us.
In the second part, we spoke to 24-year-old Seema who suffered severe burns all over her skin after an acid attack in 2016 when she was in school. “There is no area on my legs from where skin has not been taken out. They have put it all on my face,” says Seema, who had her 13th skin grafting operation in March last year.
She is slowly coming to understand how the injuries have affected even things that she otherwise took for granted, we had reported. The grafted skin, she says, does not sweat. With severe burns, the skin loses the ability to maintain body temperature.
The third and concluding part of the series told the story of Julie, whose stepfather attacked her with acid when she was three years old. It was only after 24 hours that she got the first medical aid, we had reported. In case of acid attack, timely and appropriate first aid are key in preventing infection and reducing pain, which can greatly improve the overall outcome for survivors. The story explored health systems response, policy interventions and medical accessibility for survivors.We welcome feedback. Please write to respond@indiaspend.org. We reserve the right to edit responses for language and grammar.