Saeeda, setting the nursery room up! Well done!
A child protection programme is never only about an action only, it is essentially about people, who they are and what they commit to, here, we are having peer survivors organising a space for children they are willing to help and guide, children who were victims of acid violence but children who are so lively! We admire, and thank these peer survivors, the real heroes…
Irum and her new refuge...getting better...
Sign for hope!
On 17th and 18th July 2010, a handicraft exhibition was organised in Islamabad in Rothas F-7.
This was the occasion for the acid survivors to pilot test the market value of the products they were making through Acid Survivors Foundation NCRU: bracelets, parandas (decorated hair extension), cell phones pouches. Additionally, it was an interactive way to train the survivors on the business cycle they would have to face and also give them the opportunity to interact with the community as any other citizen. The response was good, 9650 Rs raised over the week end and a public eager to understand the problem, encourage the survivors, and buy the products. Our next project will be the Eid Mela, so wish us luck!
Last but not least, it was also the occasion to introduce a game Malamaal, designed for children and adolescents and to educate them about child rights, hygiene, HIV-AIDS, Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and Child Commercial and Sexual Exploitation (CSEC) as half of our children victims have been attacked when they refused to be abused, and general knowledge.
A customer being applied a paranda by Naila : great new experience!
Valerie Khan Yusufzai, children volunteers, survivors and interns playing Malamaal in front of the visitors.
Survivors and survivors' family members at work.
studious lawyers
EVENT REPORT
LAWYERS’ CONSULTATION ON ACID CONTROL & ACID CRIME PREVENTION BILL.
JUNE 24 2010
BEST WESTERN HOTEL
ISLAMABAD.
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EVENT REPORT
BACKGROUND:
Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) is a Pakistani, non-profit organization working since 2006 to eradicate acid violence from Pakistan, and to promote the human rights of acid burn and other burn survivors, through a peaceful democratic process. It was officially registered in August 2007 under Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies(Registration and Control) Ordinance 1961.
1.1. Goal and directives of the organization
Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) Pakistan has aimed for a four-component approach;
1.2. ASF standing
1.3. Achievements of ASF
RATIONALE:
Acid violence is a global phenomenon highly present in South Asia. Acid violence is a particularly atrocious form of violence, usually occurring, with regard to Pakistan, in domestic settings and most often directed against women. Acid is cheap and freely available in cotton-growing districts of Pakistan, particularly in the Seraiki belt of southern Punjab and Northern Sindh. It is used as a tool of violence, usually directed at the face of the victim.
Acid can be thrown for a variety of reasons such as family feuds, land dispute, refusal of marriage, suspected infidelity or rejection of a sexual advance. The effects of acid violence include serious physical harm such as loss of eyes and limbs, corrosion of organs, and subsequent infections as well as social ostracism. Throwing acid on someone, therefore, not only means destroying their face but also their life. Despite the horrific nature of this crime, to date there are very few services available for victims. According to ASF Notification Unit (2009), 304 burn cases have been notified till date out of which 290 are acid attack cases.
Recently, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Mr. Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry took a suo moto action in an acid attack case and ordered the Government to pass legislation related to acid violence and acid trade as done by Bangladesh in 2002. He also ordered the Government to provide free medical care and rehabilitation facilities of acid burn survivors in Pakistan, in addition to acknowledging the work of ASF Pakistan.
ASF with the support of UNIFEM & Ministry of Women Development is in the process of holding a series of consultations on the proposed Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill with legal experts and activists. This will be done in close coordination with EVAW Alliance and GRAP. It will be an important tool to safeguard the rights of acid burn survivors against this atrocious and heinous crime and will go a long way for an Acid Violence Free Pakistan!
OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTATION:
Identify strengths and improving areas in the proposed legislation with the help of lawyers and legislative experts to establish an efficient legal framework which would regulate and monitor acid trade, punish perpetrators, and give acid burn survivors access to comprehensive rehabilitation services, to guarantee & safeguard their basic human rights in line with the Constitution of Pakistan and International Conventions such as CEDAW, CRC.
EVENT DETAILS:
Ms. Valerie Khan, Chairperson, Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) Pakistan, gave a welcome speech to all the participants explaining the agenda of the consultation meeting & the role of participants in this meeting. Participants were also asked to introduce themselves.
She explained that the Acid Control & Acid Crime Prevention Bill was previously passed as a ‘Private Member Bill’ by Women Parliamentarians, Ms. Marvi Memon, Ms. Anushay Rehman and Begum Shenaz Wazir Ali, but due to the shortcomings in this Bill it could not be taken up to the Senate. By virtue of this consultation, we would not only critically assess the loopholes in this Bill but would also discuss the recommendations for the new draft of the Bill, which would then be presented in the National Assembly by the Ministry of Women Development (MoWD) as a ‘Government Bill’.
Ms. Sana Masood, Head of Projects & Legal Coordinator, Acid Survivors Foundation, explained the Acid Burn Phenomenon in Pakistan, which is prevalent in the Seraiki/Cotton Belt. Acid in these areas is largely used for agricultural uses, but has other uses as well, such as industrial, commercial and domestic uses. Due to weak licensing and monitoring mechanisms acid is freely and widely available to the general public which is why in most cases acid is used as a tool of violence, especially in cases of domestic disputes (48% as per ASF Statistics 2009). Other reasons are refusal of marriage proposal, indecent or sexual advance (25%), in which the face of the victim is usually targeted with acid. This may cause permanent disfigurement, loss of limbs, loss of eyesight and even death. Majority of the victims are women but men and children have also been a target of this heinous form of violence. Men usually get attacked due to money disputes or professional animosities. Children, are often the collateral damage of acid attacks on their parents or siblings, or if they are present in the same vicinity at the time of the acid attack.
She also explained that acid violence is a global phenomenon and is also occurring in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Uganda, Columbia, UK, etc. However, these countries including Pakistan have realized the need for specific legislation dealing with acid violence & acid trade, and are working towards it.
Barrister Naveed Khan, Legal Consultant working with ASF and UNIFEM to draft the new Bill, gave a speech regarding the current legislation in Pakistan and the flaws in the Bill presented in the National Assembly on January 26 2010. He also referred to the Chief Justice’s Decision and expressed the need to incorporate the clause related to free medical care and rehabilitation for acid burn survivors in the new Bill, and the need to establish a licensing mechanism to monitor and regulate acid trade.
He directed the lawyers to first critically analyze & assess this Bill in groups of three and four, and then noted down all criticisms group-wise.
After the tea break, the second part of the consultation substantially focused on the recommendations for the new Bill. A set of questions were distributed to all the participants in order to discuss the mechanisms and solutions for different issues pertaining to acid violence in Pakistan. All recommendations for the new draft discussed at the consultation were duly recorded in writing by the ASF team and the Legal Consultant.
At the end of meeting, the ASF team thanked the participants for their contributions and welcomed detailed feedbacks over email. Ms. Valerie Khan also made an announcement of the Second Consultation on the Bill with CBOs, NGOs, Human Rights Activists, Stakeholders and Lawyers which is due end of July 2010.
Acid Survivors Foundation interns ready to take minutes and compile MOVs!
Consultation is about sharing and speech distribution.
This consultation meant to give a legal technical path to redraft the ACCPB…
25 participants attended the consulatation and suggested various ways forward: specific law on acid, implementation and monitoring mechanism.
The new ACCPB will be the result of this first consultation and will be reviewed by a group of NGOs, stakeholders and legal experts as Acid Survivors Foundation is committed to promote democratic and peaceful processes. We will certainly keep you updated and share the agenda of our second meeting: do not miss here!
VKY agrees to disagree!
Pakistani lawyers critically reviewing Acid Control and Crime Prevention Bill
After hard work, reward!
Sana has finally done a great documentary!
This is where it starts from...
Sana Masood, Acid Survivors Foundation Head of projects has attended a Training Of Trainers in digital story telling…A modern and alternative way to verbalise one’s most inner thoughts and a new approach to humanize technology….
Sana’s work will be displayed on the following website :
Do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested in training!
The Acid Survivors Foundation aims to improve the lives of victims in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: When Valerie Khan Yusufzai came to Pakistan in 1996, she had no idea that she would be setting up an organisation dedicated to changing the lives of acid victims in the country.
With her husband, Mohammad Yusufzai, she moved first to Swabi and then to Islamabad.
“My family was not worried about me marrying a Pakistani man; they were more worried about me moving to Pakistan,” said Valerie.
She grew up in a strict environment with strong values in France. “So moving to NWFP actually felt like home,” she said.
A French literature graduate, she taught French for 12 years in Islamabad. But in 2005, Valerie’s mission began, when she first learnt about acid violence in Pakistan.
“I was not aware of the phenomenon [of acid violence] until I saw a victim at the beauty parlour. Seeing her disfigurement from a woman’s perspective, there was a strong instinctive force inside me that pushed me to help her,” she said.
Valerie helped the woman as much as she could, until financial and administration issues surfaced and she could not continue.
But it seemed Valerie had found her calling. With the support of family and friends, she turned her humanitarian efforts into a more formal organisation and the Acid Survivors Foundation was registered in 2007, with Valerie as Chairperson and her husband as Executive Director.
Since January 2007, 87 patients have registered with the organisation.
“Now we are facing financial issues, not because more cases have started occurring, but because more are being reported,” she said.
Victims can get free surgery at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad and Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi but these hospitals are already overburdened with patients.
Valerie feels that, even more than hospital burn centres, “The government needs to provide us with area to build Nursing Rehabilitation Units.”
These units will provide comprehensive rehabilitation services, medical and surgical nursing care, physiotherapy and psychotherapy as well as socioeconomic services.
“The rehabilitation is not just physical; the real work is to rebuild their shattered confidence and help them face the world again,” Valerie said.
At present, the patients are kept at a nursing care rehabilitation unit in Sector I-10.
“None of the victims will ever be exactly the same. We are not magicians, we are just social workers trying to make a difference,” she said.
Valerie said there was no support from the government in terms of funds because they did not trust local NGOs. “The government should double check the credibility of NGOs by checking their receipts, bank statements, legal documents. If this is done, the corrupt ones will be identified,” she said.
“The Acid Crime and Protection Bill was tabled in the National Assembly in December 2009 and much more work needs to be done to get it implemented,” she said.
The number of acid violence incidents increased in the last eights years, with 10 in 2002 and almost 50 in 2008, according to statistics from the Acid Survivor Foundation collected between 1991 and 2008.
The reason behind almost half of all reported cases, is family disputes, and 90 percent of the cases are reported in Punjab. Of all cases reported between 1991 and 2009, 61 percent of victims were female and 39 percent were male.
Valerie said her mission would continue as long as she lives. “We do thank God for what we are blessed with but every now and then there is a feeling within us that we must achieve more.”
“Do not believe you are doing something big because there are many exceptional people out there making a difference. One must always remain humble,” Valerie said.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 5th, 2010.
Love the story I follow ur stories everyday…keep it up!!! you are a brilliant journalist….
Regards
Zahra
Nice Article … For Sure
biggest fan .. like totally