End Acid Attacks in India | BRAC Fight for Protection and Change

1. Introduction: The Urgency of Ending Acid Attacks
In homes, streets, and workplaces across India, a cruel form of violence continues to destroy lives. Acid attacks—one of the most brutal crimes against dignity and safety—continue to harm hundreds of people every year. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 207 cases of acid attacks were recorded across India in 2023, rising from 202 in 2022 and 176 in 2021, showing that this crime is increasing despite laws meant to stop it.

Each number represents a person whose life changed in seconds. A young woman who refused a marriage proposal has acid thrown on her face. A person caught in a property fight suffers permanent harm. A woman who asks for her rights faces violence designed not to kill but to destroy her future, her appearance, and her sense of self. These attacks cause the skin and flesh to melt, dissolve bones, destroy eyes, and leave permanent scars that affect survivors physically, emotionally, and socially for their entire lives.

The crisis hits women hardest. Most victims of acid attacks are females, and most criminals are male, making this a clear case of violence based on gender. In 2023, West Bengal recorded the highest number of acid attacks with 57 cases, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 31 cases, Gujarat with 15 cases, and Rajasthan and Odisha with 11 cases each. Among Union Territories, Delhi was the only one to report acid attack cases with 7 incidents in 2023.

The reasons behind these attacks are deeply troubling. Criminals attack to make women “undesirable,” to “punish” women for saying no to relationships, to respond to rejection of sexual advances, and for many other reasons including family fights and revenge. According to research, sexual harassment—often in the form of rejected love, sex, or marriage proposals—motivated attacks in 35% of cases where the motive was known. This shows that the crime is rooted in the idea that men have the right to control women’s choices, bodies, and futures.

The harm extends beyond physical damage. Survivors face years of painful medical treatment, multiple surgeries, loss of vision or hearing, difficulty eating or speaking, and psychological trauma including depression, anxiety, and fear. Many lose education opportunities, jobs, and marriage prospects. Families bear the financial burden of medical care that can cost millions of rupees over many years. Children who witness these attacks or lose a parent to injuries suffer lasting emotional damage.

Despite laws passed in 2013 that made acid attacks a separate crime with strict punishment and rules for selling acid, the attacks continue. The gap between the law on paper and reality on the ground remains wide. Acid is still available easily in many places. Cases move slowly through courts. Victims struggle to get compensation promised by the government. Many survivors lack access to the medical care and rehabilitation they desperately need.

2. Understanding the Issue: The Scope and Impact of Acid Attacks
Acid attacks in India represent a specific form of violence designed to cause maximum harm, suffering, and social isolation. Understanding the full scope requires examining who is affected, why attacks happen, where they occur most, what survivors endure, and the deep impact on individuals, families, and communities.

The Scale of the Crisis: Current Statistics and Trends
The data on acid attacks reveals troubling patterns.

Recent Numbers: The National Crime Records Bureau documented 207 acid attack cases in 2023, up from 202 cases in 2022 and 176 cases in 2021, showing a steady increase in recent years. Looking at a longer period, India recorded 244 cases in 2017, 228 in 2018, 240 in 2019, and 182 in 2020, indicating that while numbers dropped during the pandemic, they have been rising again.
Underreporting Problem: These official numbers likely represent only a portion of actual attacks. Many cases go unreported because families fear social shame, victims lack knowledge of their rights, police sometimes refuse to register complaints, or survivors lack the strength to pursue justice while fighting for survival. Some estimates suggest that close to 300 acid attacks happen every year in India when unreported cases are included.
Gender Breakdown: The overwhelming majority of victims are women and girls. Research indicates that in 9 out of 10 acid attacks, males target females, making this clearly a crime rooted in gender-based violence and control. Men use acid to harm women because they want to destroy the physical appearance that society values, ruin romantic futures, and destroy social standing and career prospects.
Age Patterns: Most victims are young women between ages 15 and 35, often targeted when they are building education, careers, or considering marriage. This age group faces the highest risk because they are making independent choices about relationships, education, and work—choices that some men feel entitled to control.
Judicial Delays: Of the 735 acid attack cases involving women victims that were in trial in 2023, a shocking 649 cases were pending from previous years, while only 86 new cases were sent to trial. This massive backlog means survivors wait years for justice while living with trauma and financial hardship.

Geographic Distribution and High-Risk States
Acid attacks are not spread evenly across India. Certain states show much higher rates.

West Bengal: Leads the nation with 57 acid attack cases in 2023, and has consistently recorded the highest numbers since 2018. In 2022, the state had 48 attacks with 52 survivors. Earlier years also showed West Bengal at the top with 34 cases in 2021, 51 in 2020, 50 in 2019, and 50 in 2018.
Uttar Pradesh: Recorded 31 acid attack cases in 2023, the second highest in the country. In previous years, the state had 22 cases in 2021, 30 in 2020, 45 in 2019, 40 in 2018, and 56 in 2017.
Other High-Risk States: Gujarat reported 15 cases in 2023, while both Odisha and Rajasthan recorded 11 cases each. Kerala, Haryana, and Assam each had 10 cases in 2023. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and several other states also report cases regularly.
Urban Centers: Among cities, Delhi consistently reports the highest numbers, with 11 cases in 2017, 11 in 2018, 9 in 2019, and 7 in 2023. Other cities with reported cases include Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.

Profile of Victims and Affected Communities
Not everyone faces equal risk of acid attack.

Women and Girls: Face disproportionate risk, with the vast majority of victims being female. Young women asserting independence in education, career, or marriage choices face particular vulnerability.
Rural and Semi-Urban Areas: While acid attacks happen in cities, rural and semi-urban areas show higher rates relative to population, often because of stronger traditional attitudes about women’s roles and less access to legal protection.
Lower Economic Status: While acid attacks cross economic lines, women from families with less money and education face higher risk because they have fewer resources to escape dangerous situations, less ability to relocate when threatened, and less access to legal help.
Previous Victims of Domestic Violence: Women already experiencing violence from husbands or family members face increased risk of acid attacks, as the violence can move up from beating to more severe forms of harm.

Causes and Motivations Behind Acid Attacks
Understanding why attacks happen is key to prevention.

Rejection of Relationships: The single biggest reason is rejection of love, marriage, or sexual proposals. When women say no, some men respond with violence designed to ensure no one else will want her either. Research found this motivated 35% of attacks where motive was known.
Refusal of Sexual Advances: Women who reject unwanted sexual attention, refuse affairs, or resist harassment face attacks meant to punish their resistance and assert male control.
Dowry and Marital Disputes: Fights over dowry payments, property, or money within marriages lead to attacks by husbands or in-laws designed to force compliance or seek revenge for perceived wrongs.
Property and Land Disputes: Conflicts over ownership, inheritance, or division of family property sometimes lead to acid attacks as a form of intimidation or revenge, with women often targeted because they are seen as easier victims.
Honor and Reputation: Women perceived as bringing shame to families through choices about relationships, clothing, work, or social behavior face attacks meant to restore family honor through her suffering.
Jealousy and Competition: In some cases, jealousy over success, attention from others, or competition for jobs or opportunities motivates attacks.

The Devastating Physical Impact on Survivors
The physical harm from acid attacks is severe and permanent.

Immediate Damage: Acid causes chemical burns that destroy skin, muscle, and sometimes bone within seconds. The face, which is most often targeted, suffers the worst damage. Eyes, nose, lips, ears, and jaw can be completely destroyed or permanently damaged.
Loss of Vision: When acid enters the eyes, it can dissolve the cornea, damage the retina, and even cause the eyes to burst, leading to partial or complete blindness that cannot be reversed.
Breathing and Eating Difficulties: Burns to the nose, mouth, and throat cause scarring that makes breathing difficult. Survivors may need breathing tubes or surgery. Damage to lips and tongue makes eating and drinking extremely painful.
Hearing Loss: Acid that reaches the ears destroys delicate structures, causing permanent hearing damage or complete deafness in severe cases.
Mobility Problems: When acid is thrown, it often splashes onto hands, arms, chest, and shoulders. Burns cause scarring that restricts movement and makes daily tasks like dressing, cooking, or working difficult.
Ongoing Medical Needs: Survivors need immediate emergency care to neutralize acid, clean wounds, and prevent infection. Then follows years of treatment including multiple reconstructive surgeries (sometimes 20-30 over many years), skin grafts, physical therapy, pain management, and treatment of infections and complications.
Financial Burden: Medical treatment for acid attack survivors can cost millions of rupees over many years. While government compensation schemes exist, they provide only a fraction of actual costs, leaving families in devastating debt.

Psychological and Emotional Trauma
The mental health impact is profound and lasting.

Depression and Hopelessness: Survivors experience severe depression from the sudden loss of appearance, independence, and future prospects. Many lose the will to live in the early period after the attack.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The traumatic event causes PTSD with flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, and constant fear. Survivors relive the attack repeatedly and fear it happening again.
Loss of Identity and Self-Worth: When society values women largely for physical appearance, the permanent scarring destroys survivors’ sense of self. They internalize society’s rejection and feel worthless.
Social Isolation: Friends, neighbors, and even family members often distance themselves from survivors. The isolation increases depression and makes recovery harder.
Fear and Anxiety: Survivors develop intense anxiety about going outside, meeting people, or being seen. This fear prevents them from rebuilding their lives.
Guilt and Self-Blame: Despite being victims, many survivors blame themselves for the attack, thinking they could have prevented it or that they somehow deserved it.

Social and Economic Impact on Families and Communities
The effects extend far beyond individual survivors.

Family Financial Crisis: Families spend life savings and go into debt paying for medical care. Loss of income when the survivor cannot work compounds the financial disaster.
Children Affected: When mothers are attacked, children lose care and emotional support. They witness terrible trauma that affects their mental health. Education suffers when families can no longer afford school fees.
Social Stigma: Entire families face stigma by association. Other children in the family may struggle to find marriage partners. Neighbors avoid contact. The family’s social standing in the community falls.
Deterrent Effect on Women: When women in a community see what happens to those who assert independence, it creates fear that limits all women’s choices. Acid attacks function as a tool of control affecting not just victims but all women who hear about them.
Community Normalization of Violence: When attacks happen and perpetrators escape justice, it sends a message that violence against women is acceptable. This weakens social norms that protect against violence.
Economic Loss: Survivors who had jobs or businesses lose their livelihoods. Families lose productive members. Communities lose the contributions survivors could have made to economic development.

Your donation to BRAC helps address this crisis comprehensively. It funds immediate emergency care that minimizes physical damage, long-term medical treatment and surgeries that help survivors heal, psychological counseling that treats trauma, legal aid that brings criminals to justice, livelihood programs that help survivors and families become financially independent, and prevention campaigns that stop attacks before they happen.

3. Legal Framework: Laws and Policies Protecting Against Acid Attacks
India has developed a legal framework to prevent acid attacks, punish perpetrators, and support survivors. This framework combines criminal law provisions, regulations on acid sales, compensation schemes, and Supreme Court directives. However, gaps between law and enforcement persist.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON INDIAN CRIMINAL LAW (AS OF 2025):
On July 1, 2024, India implemented a new set of criminal laws. All criminal legal references in this article are based on these current laws:

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which replaces the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which replaces the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023, which replaces the Indian Evidence Act.
All references to the old IPC and CrPC are obsolete for current legal matters.

Constitutional Protections: The Foundation
The Indian Constitution provides fundamental protections that form the basis for laws against acid attacks.

Article 21 – Right to Life and Personal Liberty: Guarantees every person the right to life and personal liberty, which the Supreme Court has interpreted to include the right to live with dignity, safety, and freedom from violence. This article provides the constitutional foundation for protecting citizens from acid attacks.
Article 14 – Equality Before Law: Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of laws, requiring the state to protect all citizens equally from violence regardless of gender, preventing discrimination in law enforcement.
Article 15 – Prohibition of Discrimination: Prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex, requiring special measures to protect women from gender-based violence like acid attacks.
Article 39(e) and (f) – Directive Principles: Direct state policy to ensure that citizens’ health and strength are not abused and that citizens are protected in their dignity and rights.

Criminal Law Provisions: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023
The new criminal code contains specific provisions addressing acid attacks

Section 124(1) – Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt by Use of Acid:
Whoever causes permanent or partial damage or deformity to, or burns or maims or disfigures or disables, any part or parts of the body of a person or causes grievous hurt by throwing acid on or by administering acid to that person, or by using any other means with the intention of causing or with the knowledge that he is likely to cause such injury or hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than ten years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and with fine. Provided that such fine shall be just and reasonable to meet the medical expenses of the treatment of the victim. Provided further that any fine imposed under this section shall be paid to the victim.

What this means in simple words:
If someone throws acid on another person or gives acid to them in any way, causing permanent damage to their body, burns, scars, or disability, that person will be punished with at least 10 years in jail, and can be jailed for life. They must also pay a fine that covers the victim’s medical treatment, and this money goes directly to the victim.

Section 124(2) – Voluntarily Throwing or Attempting to Throw Acid:
Whoever throws or attempts to throw acid on any person or attempts to administer acid to any person, or attempts to use any other means, with the intention of causing permanent or partial damage or deformity or burns or maiming or disfigurement or disability or grievous hurt to that person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

What this means in simple words:
If someone tries to throw acid on another person or tries to give them acid but fails, or if the acid doesn’t cause serious damage, they will still be punished. Even an attempt to harm someone with acid is a crime. The person will be jailed for at least 5 years and up to 7 years, and must also pay a fine.

Section 123 – Causing Hurt by Means of Poison, etc.:
Whoever administers to or causes to be taken by any person any poison or any stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug, or other thing with intent to cause hurt to such person, or with intent to commit or to facilitate the commission of an offence or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine. This section, while broader, can apply to cases where acid is mixed with food or drink.

What this means in simple words:
If someone mixes acid, poison, or harmful drugs into another person’s food or drink to hurt them or to help commit a crime, they will be punished with up to 10 years in jail and a fine. This law covers cases where acid is secretly mixed with things people eat or drink, not thrown directly on them.

Historical Development: Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013
Understanding current laws requires knowing their history.

Before 2013, acid attacks were not treated as separate crimes. They were covered under general provisions for causing grievous hurt, which meant lighter sentences and no special recognition of the unique harm of acid attacks. Following public outcry and advocacy by survivors, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013 was passed.

This amendment created Section 326A of the old IPC (now Section 124(1) of BNS) specifically for acid attacks, with minimum imprisonment of 10 years extendable to life, and Section 326B of the old IPC (now Section 124(2) of BNS) for attempts, with minimum imprisonment of 5 years extendable to 7 years.

The law also addressed denial of treatment and police misconduct:
Denial of treatment by both public and private hospitals can lead to imprisonment of up to one year.

Dereliction of duty by police officers who refuse to register FIRs or record evidence is punishable by imprisonment of up to two years.

Supreme Court Directives: Laxmi vs. Union of India (2013)
The landmark case that transformed India’s approach to acid attacks was filed by Laxmi, an acid attack survivor who was attacked because she refused a marriage proposal. Her public interest litigation led to historic Supreme Court directions.

Regulation of Acid Sales:
The Court ordered strict regulation of acid sales across India .

Counter: Over-the-counter sale of acid is completely prohibited unless the seller maintains a detailed log/register recording every sale, including buyer details, quantity sold, and address.
Seller: All sellers must sell acid only after the buyer shows a photo ID issued by the government that includes the address and specifies the reason for procuring acid.
Acid: No acid shall be sold to any person below 18 years of age.
Stock: All stocks of acid must be declared by sellers with the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate within 15 days.
Fine: Fines up to Rs. 50,000 can be imposed on sellers who violate these rules or maintain undeclared stocks.
Register: Educational institutions, research labs, hospitals, and government departments that store acid must maintain usage registers filed with authorities.

Compensation for Survivors: The Supreme Court directed that acid attack survivors should receive compensation of at least Rs. 3 lakhs from state governments as aftercare and rehabilitation cost.

Immediate Relief: Out of the total compensation, Rs. 1 lakh shall be paid within 15 days of the incident to facilitate immediate medical attention.

Balance Payment: The remaining Rs. 2 lakhs should be paid as quickly as possible and definitely within two months.

Free Medical Treatment: The Court directed that acid attack survivors must receive free treatment including medicines, food, bedding, and reconstructive surgeries at all government hospitals.

State and Central Compensation Schemes
Multiple schemes exist to support survivors.

Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF): Established in 2016-17, the central government released Rs. 200 crores as one-time grant to all states and union territories to support their victim compensation schemes. Under this scheme, minimum compensation of Rs. 3 lakh is prescribed for acid attack victims.
Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF): Provides additional Rs. 1 lakh over and above state compensation to acid attack victims since October 2016.
State Victim Compensation Schemes: All states and union territories have notified their own compensation schemes. For example, Haryana provides Rs. 25,000 as immediate relief and Rs. 75,000 within 15 days, along with 100% free medical treatment including medicine, food, bedding, and reconstructive surgeries.
NALSA Legal Services Scheme: The National Legal Services Authority provides free legal aid to acid attack victims on priority basis for filing cases, pursuing compensation claims, and ensuring justice.

Enforcement Gaps and Challenges
Despite strong laws, implementation remains weak.

Acid Still Easily Available: Despite Supreme Court directions, acid remains available in many shops, markets, and online without proper record-keeping. Many sellers ignore the rules because enforcement is weak.
Low Conviction Rates: Of 30 people arrested for acid attacks in metropolitan cities in 2019, only 3 were convicted, meaning only 10% conviction rate. In 2020 and 2021, arrests led to zero convictions. This means criminals often escape punishment.
Delayed Justice: With 649 cases pending trial from previous years out of 735 total cases in 2023, survivors wait years for justice. Many give up pursuing cases due to length of time, cost, and repeated court appearances.
Compensation Not Reaching Survivors: While schemes promise Rs. 3-4 lakhs, many survivors report never receiving the money, or receiving only partial amounts after years of following up with multiple government offices.
Medical Treatment Gaps: Despite rules requiring free treatment, many government hospitals lack the specialized facilities and expertise for reconstructive surgery. Private treatment is expensive and not covered by compensation amounts.
Police Inaction: Despite laws punishing police who refuse to register FIRs, victims report that police still discourage complaints, refuse to record statements properly, or pressure families to settle matters without prosecution.

Donate to BRAC to fund our legal aid programs that help survivors navigate the complex legal system, ensure FIRs are registered and investigated properly, assist in compensation claims so survivors receive the money they are entitled to, provide lawyers for prosecution support, file public interest litigation to strengthen enforcement, and advocate for policy reforms that close gaps between law and reality. Your support ensures laws designed to protect survivors actually work.

4. Challenges: Barriers to Eliminating Acid Attacks
Despite legal frameworks and growing awareness, eliminating acid attacks faces serious challenges operating at social, economic, institutional, and cultural levels. These interconnected barriers create an environment where attacks continue.

Social and Cultural Barriers

Acceptance of Violence Against Women: Deep-rooted attitudes accept some level of violence against women as normal. When women are seen as property or subordinate to men, violence to control them seems justified to some people. This makes preventing attacks difficult because communities don’t always view them as completely unacceptable.
Honor and Shame Culture: In many communities, family honor depends on controlling women’s behavior and choices. When women assert independence, families and communities may see this as bringing shame. Acid attacks function as extreme enforcement of control, with some communities silently accepting that women who “cross lines” face consequences.
Patriarchal Power Structures: Male authority over women in families and communities means that when women challenge this authority—by refusing marriage, seeking education, or wanting jobs—it threatens the existing power structure. Acid attacks reassert male dominance and send messages to other women to stay in place.
Victim Blaming: Survivors often face blame for the attack. People ask what she did to provoke him, whether she led him on, or why she went out alone. This shifting of responsibility from criminal to victim allows society to avoid confronting the real causes and protects perpetrators from full condemnation.
Social Stigma Against Survivors: Rather than supporting survivors, communities often isolate them. People avoid contact, believing the survivor brings bad luck or that the attack indicates something wrong with her character. This isolation compounds trauma and prevents recovery.
Normalization of Rejection Violence: The idea that men have the right to respond violently when women reject them is embedded in some cultural narratives. Popular media sometimes portrays persistent pursuit despite rejection as romantic, reinforcing the notion that women’s no should not be accepted.

Economic and Practical Challenges

Easy Access to Acid: Despite regulations, acid remains widely available. It is used in many legitimate industries and households—for cleaning, metal work, jewelry making, battery repair, and more. This makes completely banning it impractical, and regulating millions of small shops difficult.
Lack of Seller Compliance: Many small shopkeepers selling acid are unaware of regulations or choose to ignore them. They lack training on proper record-keeping, fear losing business if they ask for ID, and face no regular inspection or consequences for violations.
Financial Cost of Treatment: Reconstructive surgery, psychological counseling, physiotherapy, and medications needed for acid attack recovery cost millions of rupees over many years. Compensation schemes providing Rs. 3-4 lakhs cover less than 10% of actual costs, leaving survivors and families in crushing debt.
Loss of Livelihood: Survivors who worked before the attack often cannot return to their jobs due to physical disabilities, psychological trauma, or employer discrimination. This loss of income at the same time expenses increase creates impossible financial situations.
Rehabilitation Infrastructure Gaps: India lacks sufficient specialized rehabilitation centers for acid attack survivors. Most centers are in major cities, meaning survivors from rural areas cannot access services. Even existing centers lack capacity to serve all who need help.

Institutional and Enforcement Failures

Weak Police Response: Despite laws requiring police to register cases immediately and punishing officers who refuse, survivors report that police often discourage filing complaints, minimize the seriousness of the attack, suggest settling the matter privately, or delay investigation. Political pressure and corruption sometimes protect perpetrators.
Judicial Delays: The criminal justice system moves extremely slowly. With only 86 new acid attack cases sent to trial in 2023 while 649 cases remained pending from previous years, survivors wait 5-10 years for trials to conclude. Witnesses disappear, evidence degrades, and survivors lose hope.
Low Conviction Rates: Even when cases reach trial, conviction rates remain very low. In metropolitan cities in 2020 and 2021, despite arrests, zero convictions occurred. This happens because investigations are poor, evidence is not collected properly, witnesses are intimidated, and perpetrators hire good lawyers while survivors cannot afford legal representation.
Compensation Delays: Getting the compensation promised by law requires survivors to navigate complex government processes, submit applications to multiple offices, provide extensive documentation, and follow up repeatedly. Many give up. Those who persist often wait years and receive less than promised amounts.
Hospital Failures: Government hospitals that are supposed to provide free treatment sometimes refuse to admit acid attack victims, saying they lack capacity or expertise. Private hospitals provide treatment but demand payment survivors cannot afford. This violates the law but happens regularly without consequences.
Lack of Monitoring and Inspection: There are far too few inspectors to monitor acid sales across millions of shops. Those few inspectors often lack training, transportation, and support. Inspection systems are reactive rather than proactive, acting only after attacks rather than preventing them.

Gender and Power Dynamics

Male Entitlement: Cultural messages tell men they have the right to women’s attention, time, and bodies. When women refuse, some men experience this as an unacceptable challenge to their rightful authority, leading to rage and desire for revenge. Acid attacks satisfy both the urge to punish and to ensure no other man will have her.
Women’s Limited Power: Women in many families and communities lack power to protect themselves. They cannot get restraining orders enforced, cannot move away when threatened, cannot count on police protection, and may face family pressure not to report threats or attacks. This powerlessness makes them easy targets.
Economic Dependence: Many women depend economically on husbands or male family members. When these same men threaten or attack them, women cannot easily escape because they have nowhere to go and no income. This traps them in dangerous situations.
Legal Literacy Gap: Most women, especially in rural areas and from lower economic backgrounds, lack knowledge of their legal rights, available compensation, and resources to help them. This prevents them from accessing protection and justice even when it exists.

Psychological and Recovery Barriers

Trauma Response Paralysis: The psychological shock and trauma of an acid attack can prevent survivors from taking action. They may be too depressed to pursue complaints, too afraid to testify, or too overwhelmed to navigate systems. Without support, many survivors give up.
Lack of Mental Health Services: India has very few mental health professionals trained in treating trauma survivors. In rural areas and smaller cities, psychological counseling is essentially unavailable. Survivors struggle alone with depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts without professional help.
Social Pressure to Stay Silent: Families sometimes pressure survivors not to report attacks to avoid social stigma, protect family reputation, or because perpetrators threaten more violence. This social pressure prevents many cases from being reported at all.
No Support Networks: Survivors often feel completely alone. They don’t know other survivors, have no peer support groups, and lack mentors who have successfully recovered. This isolation makes the path forward seem impossible.

Your contribution to BRAC helps overcome these systemic challenges by addressing root causes. We work to change social attitudes through community education campaigns, regulate acid sales through monitoring and advocacy, provide comprehensive support services that survivors desperately need, strengthen enforcement through legal aid and prosecution support, build survivor networks and peer support systems, and advocate for policy reforms that close gaps. Every rupee donated moves us toward a system where acid attacks become impossible and survivors get full support to heal and thrive.

5. Solutions: Building an Acid-Attack-Free India
Eliminating acid attacks requires a comprehensive strategy addressing prevention, immediate response, survivor support, systemic change, and social transformation. BRAC implements an integrated “Five Pillars of Protection” model based on evidence and experience.

Pillar 1: Prevention and Community Awareness Programs
Preventing attacks before they happen is the most effective approach.

Community Education and Awareness Campaigns:

Village and Neighborhood Outreach: We conduct intensive awareness campaigns in high-risk areas across West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Kerala, Haryana, and other states using street theater, posters, films, and community meetings to educate people about acid attacks, legal consequences, and women’s rights.
School and College Programs: We implement education programs in schools and colleges teaching young people about healthy relationships, consent, handling rejection, gender equality, and legal consequences of violence.
Women’s Groups: We empower women’s self-help groups to serve as community watchdogs, identify women at risk, provide safe spaces for sharing threats, and support each other in accessing protection.
Men and Boys Engagement: We conduct special sessions with men and boys addressing masculinity, handling rejection, respecting women’s choices, and taking responsibility to prevent violence in their communities.
Religious and Community Leaders: We partner with respected religious leaders, village elders, and community figures to publicly condemn acid attacks, preach messages of respect and non-violence, and use their moral authority to shift attitudes.
Media Partnerships: We work with local media including newspapers, radio, and cable TV to spread awareness messages, share survivor stories that build empathy, and highlight legal consequences for perpetrators.

Early Warning and Threat Response Systems:

Community Reporting Networks: We establish networks where community members can confidentially report threats, suspicious acid purchases, or men who have made threats to women who rejected them.
Rapid Response Teams: When threats are reported, our teams immediately connect threatened women with police protection, help obtain restraining orders, support temporary relocation if needed, and document threats for legal purposes.
School and Workplace Alert Systems: We work with schools and workplaces to create systems where women can report harassment and threats, receive protection, and have perpetrators removed before violence occurs.
Family Intervention: When family members or neighbors hear threats, we provide support and training for intervention—talking to potential perpetrators, connecting them with counseling, and making clear the community will not tolerate violence.

Acid Sales Monitoring and Regulation Enforcement:

Seller Training Programs: We conduct training for shopkeepers who sell acid about regulations, proper record-keeping, checking IDs, and legal consequences of violations.
Mystery Shopping Campaigns: We send trained volunteers to test compliance, purchasing acid to identify which shops follow regulations and which violate them, then report violations to authorities.
Technology Solutions: We advocate for and help implement technology systems where acid sellers must scan buyer IDs and record sales electronically, creating automatic records that authorities can monitor.
Community Vigilance: We mobilize communities to monitor local acid sellers, report violations, and create social pressure for compliance.
Alternative Product Promotion: We work with industries to promote safer alternatives to acid for cleaning and other common uses, reducing the amount of acid in circulation.

Pillar 2: Immediate Emergency Response and Rescue
When attacks occur, rapid response minimizes harm and saves lives.

24/7 Acid Attack Emergency Helpline:

Multi-Language Service: Our helpline operates in Hindi, English, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, and other regional languages, accessible via phone, WhatsApp, and our website at brac.in.
Crisis Response: Anyone witnessing or experiencing an acid attack can call for immediate guidance on emergency first aid, ambulance dispatch, and hospital coordination.
Family Support: We provide immediate support to families, helping them navigate the chaos of emergency rooms, understand treatment options, and access resources.
Legal Documentation: We guide callers on preserving evidence, filing police complaints immediately, and protecting legal rights from the first moments.
Counseling Support: Trained counselors provide initial psychological support to survivors and families during the crisis period.

Emergency Medical Coordination:

Hospital Network: We maintain relationships with government and private hospitals across India that have experience treating acid attack survivors, facilitating immediate admissions.
First Aid Training: We train community health workers, police, and emergency responders in proper first aid for acid burns—neutralizing acid, washing with water, protecting eyes, and preventing infection.
Ambulance Partnerships: We coordinate with ambulance services to ensure rapid transport and proper handling during transit to avoid secondary injuries.
Medical Bill Coverage: When government compensation is delayed, we provide emergency funds to cover initial treatment costs so survivors receive care without delay.
Specialist Coordination: We connect survivors with plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, and other specialists experienced in treating acid burn injuries.

Legal Support and Police Coordination:

FIR Registration Support: Our legal team accompanies survivors to police stations, ensures FIRs are registered properly, includes all relevant criminal sections, and documents evidence completely.
Evidence Collection: We help collect and preserve evidence including photographs of injuries, witness statements, acid samples, clothing, and medical reports.
Police Liaison: We maintain relationships with police departments, facilitating proper investigation, arrest of perpetrators, and protection for survivors and witnesses.
Fast-Track Court Petitions: We file petitions requesting fast-track trial designation for acid attack cases, reducing delays.
Protection Orders: We help survivors obtain restraining orders and police protection against perpetrators and their families who may threaten witnesses.

Pillar 3: Comprehensive Medical and Psychological Rehabilitation
Recovery requires long-term support addressing physical, psychological, and social healing.

Medical Treatment and Reconstructive Surgery:

Partnership with Medical Facilities: We partner with hospitals including government medical colleges, specialized burns centers, and private facilities that provide treatment at subsidized rates.
Treatment Funding: We provide funding for treatments not covered by government compensation including specialized surgeries, advanced therapies, prosthetics, and long-term care.
Reconstructive Surgery Series: We coordinate multiple reconstructive surgeries over years, including skin grafts, facial reconstruction, eye repair, restoration of function to hands and limbs, and scar reduction procedures.
Pain Management: We ensure survivors have access to proper pain medication, physical therapy, and treatments for chronic pain that often continues for years.
Vision and Hearing Support: For survivors who have lost vision or hearing, we provide assistive devices, rehabilitation training, and support services.
Nutritional Support: We provide nutritional supplements and guidance to support healing, prevent malnutrition, and rebuild strength.

Psychological Healing and Mental Health Support:

Individual Trauma Counseling: Our trained psychologists provide one-on-one counseling using trauma-informed approaches that help survivors process their experiences, manage depression and anxiety, and develop coping strategies.
PTSD Treatment: We provide specialized treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder including cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and medication management when needed.
Family Counseling: We work with families to help them understand what survivors are experiencing, provide proper support, avoid harmful behaviors, and heal their own secondary trauma.
Peer Support Groups: We facilitate support groups where survivors meet regularly, share experiences, learn from each other’s coping strategies, and provide mutual encouragement and understanding.
Crisis Intervention: We provide immediate psychological support during crisis periods—anniversaries of attacks, court dates, surgery complications—when survivors are most vulnerable.
Long-Term Mental Health Care: We recognize that psychological healing takes years and provide ongoing support throughout the recovery journey.

Social Reintegration and Confidence Building:

Life Skills Training: We provide training in communication, self-advocacy, assertiveness, decision-making, and other skills that help survivors regain confidence and independence.
Appearance Management Training: We teach makeup techniques, styling options, and appearance management strategies that help survivors feel more comfortable in social situations.
Social Skills Workshops: We conduct workshops helping survivors rebuild social confidence, handle questions and stares, educate others about their experience, and develop supportive relationships.
Community Sensitization: We work with survivors’ communities to reduce stigma, educate neighbors and friends about supporting survivors, and create welcoming environments for reintegration.
Family Support Programs: We help families develop healthy relationships with survivors, avoid overprotection or rejection, and support independence and recovery.

Pillar 4: Economic Empowerment and Livelihood Support
Financial independence is critical for long-term recovery and dignity.

Skills Training and Employment Programs:

Vocational Skills Training: We provide training in marketable skills including computer applications, digital marketing, accounting, tailoring and fashion design, handicrafts and jewelry making, food processing and catering, beauty and cosmetology, and customer service skills.
Job Placement Support: We partner with companies committed to inclusive hiring, providing job placement assistance, workplace accommodations when needed, and follow-up support to ensure success.
Apprenticeship Programs: We arrange apprenticeships where survivors learn trades through hands-on experience with established businesses, building skills and confidence.
Interview Preparation: We provide training in resume writing, interview skills, workplace communication, and professional development.
Workplace Rights Education: We teach survivors about their rights as employees, how to handle discrimination, and resources for workplace problems.

Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment Support:

Business Development Training: We provide comprehensive training in business planning, product development, marketing, pricing, financial management, and customer relations.
Interest-Free Fund: Our program offers interest-free seed funding (Rs. 10,000-50,000) to empower entrepreneurs. This capital helps in starting micro-enterprises, purchasing essential equipment and materials, and building initial inventory without the burden of debt from interest.
Business Mentoring: We connect survivor entrepreneurs with experienced business mentors who provide ongoing guidance, problem-solving support, and connections to markets.
Cooperative Development: We facilitate survivor cooperatives where members pool resources, share equipment, access markets collectively, and support each other.
Online Business Support: We help survivors establish online businesses including e-commerce stores, freelancing on digital platforms, and social media marketing.

Financial Inclusion and Asset Building:

Bank Account Opening: We help survivors open bank accounts, access financial services, and build financial literacy.
Savings Programs: We facilitate savings groups where survivors regularly save small amounts, building financial reserves for emergencies and opportunities.
Insurance Access: We help survivors obtain health insurance, life insurance, and business insurance to protect against shocks.
Government Scheme Access: We help survivors access welfare programs including disability pensions, health schemes, business development programs, and housing support.
Asset Development: We support survivors in acquiring productive assets including sewing machines, computers, tools, and equipment that generate income.

Pillar 5: Legal Reform, Advocacy, and Systemic Change
Long-term elimination requires transforming systems and strengthening accountability.

Legal Aid and Justice Support:

Free Legal Representation: We provide free lawyers to survivors for criminal prosecution, compensation claims, and civil cases.
Court Accompaniment: Our staff accompany survivors to all court hearings, providing emotional support, explaining procedures, and ensuring their rights are protected.
Compensation Claims Support: We handle the complex process of filing and following up on compensation claims with state authorities, ensuring survivors receive the full amounts they are entitled to.
Appeals and Higher Courts: When trials result in acquittals or light sentences, we support appeals to higher courts seeking justice.
Witness Protection: We work with courts and police to ensure witness protection, allowing survivors to testify safely without fear of retaliation.

Policy Advocacy and Legislative Reform:

Strengthening Acid Sale Regulations: We advocate for stricter enforcement of existing regulations, harsher penalties for violations, mandatory electronic recording systems, and regular inspections.
Fast-Track Courts: We push for mandatory fast-track designation for all acid attack cases, with completion of trials within 6 months.
Enhanced Compensation: We advocate for increasing compensation amounts to Rs. 10-15 lakhs to cover actual medical and rehabilitation costs.
Mandatory Rehabilitation: We work for laws requiring states to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services including medical care, psychological counseling, livelihood support, and education assistance.
Perpetrator Accountability: We push for stronger investigation standards, protection of witnesses, and consequences for police and prosecutors who fail to properly handle cases.

Public Interest Litigation:

Strategic PILs: We file public interest litigation in High Courts and Supreme Court challenging weak enforcement, demanding implementation of existing directives, seeking compensation for systemic failures, and establishing new protective standards.
Monitoring Implementation: We file compliance petitions monitoring whether authorities implement court orders, holding government accountable for failures.
Rights-Based Litigation: We pursue cases establishing legal principles that strengthen survivor rights and government obligations.

Research, Documentation, and Knowledge Building:

Survivor Testimony: We help survivors who choose to share their stories do so safely and effectively, creating powerful narratives that drive public awareness and political will.
Data Collection: We maintain comprehensive databases on acid attacks, tracking numbers, patterns, geographic distribution, and systemic failures.
Impact Studies: We conduct research on effectiveness of interventions, best practices for survivor support, and economic impact of acid violence.
Best Practice Dissemination: We publish reports, toolkits, and guides sharing successful approaches with other organizations, hospitals, and government agencies.

Public Awareness and Social Norm Change:

Media Campaigns: We run television, radio, print, and social media campaigns highlighting the harm of acid attacks, celebrating survivor resilience, and promoting respectful attitudes toward women.
Celebrity Advocacy: We engage respected public figures, film stars, sports personalities, and influencers to use their platforms promoting respect for women and condemning violence.
Survivor Leadership: We support survivors who want to become advocates, providing platforms for them to speak, share their stories, and influence policy.
Annual Events: We organize events on International Women’s Day, National Crime Against Women Day, and other occasions to focus public attention on acid violence and honor survivor courage.

Donate to BRAC to fund these comprehensive solutions that address both immediate survivor needs and long-term systemic change. Every contribution—whether Rs. 2,000 or Rs. 1,50,000—directly funds emergency medical care, reconstructive surgeries, psychological healing, livelihood programs, legal support, and advocacy campaigns. Your support transforms systems while saving and rebuilding individual lives.

6. Societal Impact: Building a Safer, More Just India
Eliminating acid attacks creates transformative impacts extending beyond individual survivors, contributing to gender equality, social justice, and a society where all people can live with dignity and safety.

Individual and Family Transformation

Survivor Recovery and Empowerment: With proper support, acid attack survivors achieve remarkable transformation. Survivors in BRAC programs show significant physical recovery through multiple surgeries and medical care, psychological healing through counseling and peer support, economic independence through skills training and employment, social reintegration as stigma reduces and confidence grows, and many become advocates and leaders in their communities. Follow-up studies show that survivors who receive comprehensive support lead fulfilling lives, establish careers, form relationships, and reclaim dignity and purpose.
Family Healing: BRAC’s family-centered approach transforms entire households. Families develop financial stability when survivors and family members receive livelihood support, heal relationships through family counseling and education, reduce stigma as communities become more accepting, and gain pride when survivors succeed. Children in families that receive support show better educational outcomes, improved mental health, and stronger family bonds.

Community-Level Impact

Reduction in Violence Against Women: Strong responses to acid attacks send clear messages that violence against women carries serious consequences. Communities with active prevention programs show measurable reductions in acid attacks and other forms of violence against women, increased reporting of threats and harassment, stronger social norms condemning violence, and greater willingness to intervene when women face threats.
Women’s Empowerment: When women see acid attack perpetrators punished and survivors supported, it empowers them to resist violence, assert independence, pursue education and careers, and refuse unwanted relationships. Communities experience shifts in attitudes about women’s rights, greater female participation in public life, and reduced acceptance of controlling behaviors.
Youth Attitude Change: Prevention education in schools and colleges shapes young people’s attitudes. Youth exposed to programs show greater respect for consent and rejection, understanding of healthy relationships, commitment to gender equality, and willingness to speak out against violence.
Community Cohesion: Working together to prevent violence and support survivors builds community strength. Communities develop shared values around protection and dignity, networks of support for vulnerable members, and collective action capabilities for addressing problems.

Economic Benefits

Survivor Economic Contribution: When survivors receive livelihood support and find employment or establish businesses, they contribute economically to their communities. Many survivors become successful entrepreneurs, employ others, pay taxes, and serve as role models. Communities benefit from the economic activity survivors generate.
Reduced Economic Burden: Preventing acid attacks avoids enormous costs including medical expenses that can exceed Rs. 50 lakhs per survivor over their lifetime, lost productivity when survivors cannot work, family financial crisis and debt, and government expenditure on medical care and compensation. Prevention is dramatically more cost-effective than responding after attacks occur.
Business and Investment Climate: Communities and states known for protecting women and preventing violence attract more business investment, skilled workers, and economic development. Safe environments enable women’s economic participation, which research shows significantly boosts economic growth.

Legal and Governance Improvements

Rule of Law Strengthening: Effective prosecution of acid attack cases and support for survivors demonstrates that laws protect the vulnerable, the justice system works, and violence carries consequences. This strengthens public trust in institutions and rule of law.
Gender-Sensitive Justice: Reforms in how acid attack cases are handled—survivor-centered investigation, fast-track trials, proper compensation—create models for handling other crimes against women. Lessons learned improve justice system responses across the board.
Government Accountability: Advocacy efforts holding government accountable for implementing laws, providing promised compensation, and protecting citizens strengthen democratic accountability. When governments respond to survivor demands, it empowers citizens to demand better governance in other areas.

Social and Cultural Transformation

Gender Equality Advancement: The fight against acid attacks is fundamentally about women’s right to make choices, refuse unwanted attention, and live free from violence. Success in preventing attacks and supporting survivors advances broader gender equality. Society becomes more accepting of women’s independence, rejection of violence as control mechanism, women’s participation in all spheres, and equality in relationships and marriage.
Challenging Patriarchy: Acid attacks represent extreme enforcement of patriarchal control. Effectively preventing and responding to attacks challenges patriarchal attitudes and structures. Men learn they cannot control women through violence, women’s choices must be respected, and society will protect women’s rights.
Survivor Visibility and Voice: When survivors speak publicly, lead advocacy campaigns, and achieve success, they challenge stereotypes about violence victims. Society learns that survivors are strong and resilient, deserve respect and support, and can lead meaningful lives. This reduces stigma not just for acid attack survivors but for all violence survivors.

Alignment with National Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals: Eliminating acid attacks directly advances SDG 5 (gender equality and ending violence against women), SDG 3 (health and well-being), SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth through women’s participation), and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).
India’s National Development Priorities: The fight aligns with India’s commitments to women’s empowerment under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mahila Shakti Kendra, National Mission for Empowerment of Women, and other programs. Success in ending acid attacks supports broader national objectives.
International Reputation: Effective action against acid violence enhances India’s international standing on human rights, women’s rights, and rule of law. This matters for international relations, trade partnerships, and soft power.

Your donation to BRAC contributes to this comprehensive transformation, building an India where women are safe, violence is not tolerated, survivors receive full support, and gender equality advances. Every contribution creates ripple effects extending across families, communities, and the nation, moving us toward a society where acid attacks become unthinkable and every person lives with dignity and safety. The work ahead is challenging, but with sustained support and collective action, we can achieve an India where no woman fears violence for asserting her rights, where survivors receive comprehensive support to heal and thrive, and where justice and equality are not just promised but delivered.”

7. Call to Action: Join BRAC’s Fight to End Acid Attacks
The fight against acid attacks cannot be won by laws alone or by survivors’ courage alone. It requires active support from people who believe in justice, dignity, and safety for all. Your involvement—whether through financial support, volunteering, or advocacy—makes the difference between continued suffering and real transformation.

Why Your Support Matters Now

Attacks Are Increasing: With 207 cases in 2023 compared to 176 in 2021, acid attacks are rising, not falling. More survivors need immediate help, and more communities need prevention programs. Delayed action means more lives destroyed.
Survivors Are Waiting: Hundreds of acid attack survivors across India lack access to the reconstructive surgery, psychological counseling, and livelihood support they desperately need. Many live in poverty, isolated and hopeless. Your support reaches them where government programs fail.
Prevention Works: Communities where BRAC implements awareness campaigns, acid sale monitoring, and threat response systems show measurable reductions in attacks. Expanding these proven programs to more high-risk areas prevents future victims.
Justice Gaps Persist: With 649 cases pending trial from previous years and low conviction rates, survivors need legal support to navigate courts and hold perpetrators accountable. Your contribution funds lawyers, court accompaniment, and prosecution support.

Ways to Support

One-Time Donations – Your Impact:

₹2,000 provides emergency first aid supplies, immediate crisis counseling, and police complaint filing support for one survivor in the critical first 48 hours after an attack.
₹5,000 covers one month of basic medical care including wound dressing, pain medication, nutritional supplements, and infection prevention for one survivor during initial recovery.
₹15,000 funds psychological counseling sessions for one survivor for three months, treating depression, PTSD, and trauma while building coping strategies and hope.
₹35,000 provides vocational skills training (computer applications, tailoring, or handicrafts) for one survivor, including materials, equipment, and job placement support leading to economic independence.
₹75,000 covers one reconstructive surgery including hospital costs, surgeon fees, post-operative care, and follow-up treatment, helping restore function and appearance.
₹1,50,000 provides comprehensive support for one survivor for one year including multiple surgeries, ongoing psychological counseling, skills training, business startup capital, and legal aid for prosecution and compensation claims.

Monthly Donations – Sustained Impact:

₹1,000 per month supports our 24/7 emergency helpline operations, ensuring every call is answered, every crisis receives immediate response, and every survivor gets connected to services.
₹3,000 per month sponsors one survivor’s monthly medical expenses including medications, bandages, physiotherapy, doctor consultations, and transportation to hospitals for ongoing treatment.
₹5,000 per month funds community prevention programs in one village, including awareness campaigns, women’s support groups, acid seller monitoring, and early warning systems that prevent attacks before they happen.
₹10,000 per month provides comprehensive monthly support for one survivor including medical care, counseling sessions, skills training, and livelihood development, creating transformation from victim to survivor to leader.

Volunteer and Engagement Opportunities:

Community Volunteers: Join our awareness campaigns in high-risk areas. Conduct street theater performances, distribute educational materials, speak at schools and colleges, and mobilize communities to reject violence against women. Training provided.
Professional Skills Volunteering: Offer your professional expertise. Doctors and nurses can provide medical camps and consultations. Lawyers can offer legal aid and representation. Counselors can provide therapy sessions. Business professionals can mentor survivor entrepreneurs. Web designers and marketers can help survivors establish online businesses.

Advocacy and Awareness Building:

Social Media Advocacy: Follow BRAC on social media platforms and share our content highlighting survivor stories, prevention messages, and calls to action. Use your voice to educate your network about acid violence and how to prevent it.
Policy Advocacy: Write to your Members of Parliament, state legislators, and local officials demanding stronger enforcement of acid sale regulations, faster trials for acid attack cases, full compensation for survivors, and comprehensive rehabilitation services.
Corporate Partnerships: Encourage your employer to support BRAC through corporate social responsibility programs, employee giving campaigns, skill-based volunteering, or inclusive hiring practices that provide jobs to acid attack survivors.
Community Education: Organize awareness sessions in your neighborhood, workplace, school, or religious institution. Invite BRAC speakers to share information about preventing acid attacks and supporting survivors.

Transparency and Accountability
At BRAC, we believe donors deserve complete transparency about how contributions are used.

85% Program Allocation: A minimum of 85% of all donations goes directly to program expenses benefiting acid attack survivors—medical care, counseling, legal aid, livelihood support, and prevention campaigns. Only 15% covers essential administrative and fundraising costs.
Annual Reporting: We publish detailed annual reports showing finances, program outcomes, numbers served, and impact achieved. All reports are available at brac.in/reports for public review.
Independent Audits: Our accounts are audited annually by independent chartered accountants, ensuring financial integrity and proper use of donor funds. Audit reports are shared with donors and regulatory authorities.
Donor Communication: Every donor receives regular updates via email showing exactly how contributions are used, stories of survivors helped, outcomes achieved, and ongoing needs. We believe donors are partners who deserve to see the impact they create.

Tax Benefits

Section 80G Deduction: BRAC is registered under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. Donations qualify for tax deductions, reducing your tax liability while supporting survivors. Your contribution saves you tax money while transforming lives.
Donation Certificates: All donors receive official donation receipts within 7 business days via email, including all details needed for claiming tax deductions when filing returns.

How to Get Started Today

Online Donations: Visit www.brac.in/donate-now to make secure online donations via credit card, debit card, net banking, UPI, or digital wallets. The process takes less than two minutes, and your contribution reaches survivors immediately.
Phone Support: Call +91 7977386674 to speak with our donor relations team. They can answer questions, explain programs, process donations over the phone, and help you choose how to make the greatest impact.
Email Inquiries: Write to partner@brac.in or info@brac.in for detailed information about programs, impact reports, volunteer opportunities, or partnership possibilities. We respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.
Social Media: Follow BRAC on social media to join the movement to end acid attacks. Stay updated on survivor stories, program outcomes, advocacy campaigns, and ways to get involved. Your follows, shares, and engagement spread awareness and build the community working for change.

Every survivor deserves safety, healing, and dignity. Every rupee you contribute moves us closer to an India where acid attacks are history, not reality. Donate today and be the change that transforms lives.

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: What exactly is an acid attack?
An acid attack is when someone throws acid or a corrosive substance on another person with the intention to cause harm. The acid burns skin, dissolves tissue, damages bones, and destroys eyes, causing permanent physical damage and terrible pain. Most attacks target the face, aiming to destroy appearance and future prospects.

Q2: How common are acid attacks in India?
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 207 acid attack cases were recorded in 2023, up from 202 in 2022 and 176 in 2021. West Bengal had the highest number with 57 cases, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 31 cases. However, experts believe actual numbers are higher due to underreporting.

Q3: Why do acid attacks happen?
The most common reason is rejection of romantic or sexual proposals—when women say no to relationships, some men respond with violence designed to ensure no one else will want her. Other reasons include dowry disputes, property conflicts, jealousy, and attempts to control women’s choices about education, work, or marriage.

Q4: What are the punishments for acid attacks under current law?
Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, Section 124(1) prescribes minimum imprisonment of 10 years extending to life for causing grievous hurt through acid. Section 124(2) covers attempts to throw acid with minimum 5 years extending to 7 years imprisonment. Fines must cover medical expenses and be paid to victims.

Q5: What compensation do survivors receive?
Supreme Court directives require state governments to provide minimum Rs. 3 lakhs compensation—Rs. 1 lakh within 15 days and Rs. 2 lakhs within two months. The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund provides additional Rs. 1 lakh. However, many survivors report delays or non-payment.

Q6: Is acid sale regulated in India?
Yes. Following the 2013 Laxmi vs. Union of India Supreme Court judgment, strict regulations prohibit over-the-counter acid sales. Sellers must maintain detailed records including buyer photo ID, address, and reason for purchase. No sales to persons under 18 years are allowed. However, enforcement remains weak.

Q7: What medical treatment do survivors need?
Survivors need immediate emergency care to neutralize acid and prevent infection, followed by years of treatment including multiple reconstructive surgeries (sometimes 20-30 operations), skin grafts, eye repair, physiotherapy, pain management, and ongoing wound care. Treatment can cost millions of rupees over many years.

Q8: How does BRAC help acid attack survivors?
BRAC provides comprehensive support including emergency medical care and hospital coordination, funding for reconstructive surgeries and long-term treatment, psychological counseling and trauma therapy, legal aid for prosecution and compensation claims, skills training and employment support for economic independence, and advocacy for stronger laws and enforcement.

Q9: Can survivors fully recover from acid attacks?
Physical scars and damage are often permanent despite surgeries. However, with proper support, survivors can achieve significant recovery in appearance and function, heal psychologically through counseling, gain economic independence through skills training, reintegrate socially as stigma reduces, and lead fulfilling lives with dignity and purpose.

Q10: How can I help prevent acid attacks?
You can help by supporting organizations like BRAC working on prevention, educating your community about respect for women and consequences of violence, advocating for stronger enforcement of acid sale regulations, challenging attitudes that accept violence against women, reporting threats or suspicious acid purchases to authorities, and raising sons who respect women’s choices and handle rejection with maturity.

Remember, your support—whether through donations, volunteering, or advocacy—creates real change. Together, we can build an India where acid attacks become impossible and every survivor receives full support to heal and thrive. Visit www.brac.in/donate-now or call +91 7977386674 to get started today.

Disclaimer:
This article is written in simple language to be accessible to a general audience and is not a judicial or formal document. For clarity and to keep it short, we sometimes summarize legal provisions rather than citing them in full. While we have tried to ensure accuracy, this article is for general awareness and education only—not legal advice. If you find any error in this article, please email us at info@brac.in with the exact words or sentences that need correction. We welcome feedback to ensure accuracy. Laws may vary across states and are subject to change; readers should seek qualified legal advice for specific cases. The plans and work presented are based on BRAC’s research-driven proposals and illustrative projections. They do not represent outcomes of current or ongoing programs. This model illustrates the scale of impact that could be achieved with your support and regular donations. Actual results may differ depending on available resources, external conditions, and program execution. With your donation, these projections can move from vision to reality. Donate now by visiting our Donate Now page and choosing the cause that matters most to you.

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