Mission is " fighting togeather against violence"



The Acid Survivors Foundation’s research shows that women are attacked for a number of reasons: refusal of marriage, refusal to develop a relationship or rejection of sexual advances, dowry-related issues and intra-family disputes over land.



The Foundation

With initial funding provided by the Canadian International Development Agency and UNICEF, as well as the pioneering voluntary work of several dedicated Bangladeshis, and the support of the Trustees, the Acid Survivors Foundation have been able to start functioning on a regular basis from 12 May 1999 to deal with these problems with a staff of two, which has now grown to a staff of fifty-seven. The Board currently has thirteen members and is chaired by the representative from the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights [BSEHR]. The Treasurer appointed by the Trustee Board is the representative of the Dhaka Central Rotary Club. In addition to the above organizations, Trustees of the Board represent the following organizations: Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyers Association, Ain O Salish Kendro [ASK], UNICEF Staff Association, the British High Commission, Jatiyo Mahila Sangstha, Naripokkho and Rahim Afroz, as well as one survivor of acid violence.





Bangladesh has the highest world-wide incidence of acid violence and acid burns constitute 9% of total burn injuries in Bangladesh.

Acid throwing is an extreme form of violence where the majority of throwers are men and the majority of victim-survivors women.

Acid is a corrosive substance that can burn holes in wood and corrode metals. Thrown on a person, acid causes skin tissue to melt, frequently exposing the bones underneath or leading to the loss of eye[s], hearing or irreparable damage to hands raised in defense.

Permanent physical disfigurement is unavoidable and serious disability frequent. The legal applications of acid are mostly industrial but it can be readily acquired from articles of frequent or regular uses since retail of acid is unregulated. The incidence of acid attacks is increasing: reported cases rose from 80 in 1996 to 485 in 2002.

The Acid Survivors Foundation’s research shows that women are attacked for a number of reasons: refusal of marriage, refusal to develop a relationship or rejection of sexual advances, dowry-related issues and intra-family disputes over land.











The attack initially removes survivors’ ability to work or study. Before ASF was available to organize and fund the intensive and prolonged medical and surgical treatment required, families were either unable to pay or faced bankruptcy in the process.



Following treatment, survivors also need rehabilitation to continue with education or develop livelihoods through training, credit or a grant. Survivors also suffer from severe emotional and psychological trauma for which they need support. Not only as victims of extreme violence but also since the gross disfigurement and frequent disability left by acid attacks makes it impossible for unmarried survivors to marry and have a family.



Even married survivors face much greater difficulty in being a full part of their community and wider society. This consequence is particularly harsh in the context of Bangladesh where women in particular only gain a full emotional and social life from marriage and parenthood and where the disfigured and disabled are marginalized.