‘Unemployment major problem for survivors’

Acid attack survivors face a grim situation when it comes to finding a job as people hesitate to employ them, says campaigner Lakshmi Saa.

Lakshmi, who herself is an acid attack survivor and a campaigner with Stop Acid Attack, said since most of the victims are women, their life is really hard.

“The major problem that comes across survivors is that nobody wants to give them a job. And since the victims are mostly girls they become more of a burden as they cannot support their families financially,” she said.

Lakshmi, along with other campaigners, has started ‘Sheroes Cafe’ – an initiative by Stop Acid Attacks, which provides employment to such people.

The activist, who runs ‘NGO Chaanv’, talked about the stigma she faced while applying for jobs despite having degrees in several skill development courses. “I did several skill development courses but when I went asking for job, people said they would be scared of me. At other places, I was told my colleagues will be scared of my looks,” she said.