Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy launches anti-acid campaign

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's mother says the campaign was launched formally after her daughter won the Oscar.


Afp February 28, 2012

KARACHI: Pakistan's first Oscar winner launched a campaign on Tuesday, hoping that her documentary about survivors of acid attacks can help eliminate a crime that disfigures hundreds of women each year.

"Saving Face" by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won the short documentary category at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

The film follows survivors in their fight to bring their attackers to justice and focuses on the work of British Pakistani plastic surgeon Mohammad Jawad, who helped restore their faces and lives.

The team behind the documentary are using their website to launch a campaign designed to raise awareness about acid attacks, which can disfigure around 200 women a year in Pakistan, and to strengthen legislation against the violence.

"The film must be more than an expose of horrendous crimes, it must be a recipe for addressing the problem and a hope for the future," co-director Daniel Junge says on www.savingfacefilm.com.

Pakistan's parliament last year adopted tougher penalties for acid attacks, increasing the punishment to between 14 years and life, and a minimum fine of one million rupees.

Obaid-Chinoy's mother, Saba, told AFP that the campaign was launched formally after her daughter won the Oscar, which had "provided her with a unique opportunity and strength to strive for her goal more effectively".

"The campaign is mainly aimed at making our society more humane and better to live. It is to help and remedy those who are victims of such brutality and injustice," she told AFP.

"Saving Face is uniquely positioned to advance awareness, education and prevention efforts," the website says.

The chairwoman of Acid Survivors Pakistan, which is a partner in the campaign, told AFP that the fight to eliminate the crime had only just started and that the outreach programme was designed to generate "systemic change".

COMMENTS (20)

noor khan | 11 years ago | Reply

reality is always bitter. every coin has 2 sides sanam and keeping in mind the current situation of pakistan it was essential to show the darker side.why does women always have to suffer . they should be given the freedom of speech and there rights should be protected. i pay tribute to sharmeen obaid for her tremendous efforts in helping women to atleaset getting consideration..honestly the next step should be to enforce strict laws on domestic voilence to ensure that women of pakistan are protected and safe...we all have to pay our role in it..@sanam:

Dumbo | 12 years ago | Reply

@sanam: Get A Life!

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