A 19-year-old woman who suffered a brutal acid attack from her brother-and-law is set to walk the runway in New York City for Fashion Week.
Indian-born Reshma Banoo Qureshi was attacked when she was 17, disfiguring her face and even causing her to lose an eye.
The Huffington Post reports she is currently working with Make Love Not Scars to help acid attack victims recover and regain their confidence and dignity.
One of the show organisers, Ilaria Niccolini said in a statement that she was delighted to discover the organisation.
“We want to give voice to these amazing women, who have been silently suffering, hiding, and too often depriving themselves of the opportunity to declare how beastly, and cruelly they have been attacked.”
And Reshma, who has never been out of India, was moved to tears when she found out she’d be walking the runway.
She told the Hindustan Times, “Today I realise that beauty is not just about how we look in the mirror, it’s more important to have a beautiful heart.”
Make Love Not Scars gained traction on social media for their #EndAcidSale, calling attention to how available and cheap acid is to buy in India, and hope to cause some much-needed change.
