Indian acid attack victim Ms. Laxmi won International Women of Courage Award

March 8, 2014

Indian acid attack victim, Ms. Laxmi won the prestigious International Women of Courage Award from the US First Lady Michelle Obama for successfully leading the campaign against acid attacks on women in India.
About acid attack victim Ms. Laxmi

Incident with her: In 2005, when she was 16 years old, an acquaintance threw acid on her face while she waited at a bus stop in New Delhi and disfigured her permanently.
After this incident, she became the standard-bearer in India for the movement to end acid attacks.
Made repeated appearances on national television, gathered 27,000 signatures for a petition to curb acid sales, and took her cause to the Supreme Court of India.
Owing to her petition, Supreme Court ordered the Indian central and state governments to regulate immediately the sale of acid and the Parliament to make prosecutions of acid attacks easier to pursue.

About International Women of Courage Award

Establish: 2007.
Presented by: United States Department of State annually.
Presented to: Women around the world that have shown leadership, courage, resourcefulness and willingness to sacrifice for others, especially for better promotion of women’s rights.
2014 awardees: Ms Laxmi (India), Dr. Nasrin Oryakhil (Afghanistan), Ms. Fatimata Touré (Mali), Ms. Roshika Deo (Fiji), Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze (Georgia), Dr. Maha Al Muneef (Saudi Arabia), Ms. Oinikhol Bobonazarova (Tajikstan), Judge Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar (Guatemala), Ms. Ruslana Lyzhychko (Ukraine) and Ms. Beatrice Mtetwa (Zimbabwe).

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