Acid attack survivors walk the runway in charity fashion show

'I want people to know the face is not what makes you beautiful, it is your heart'

AFP (Getty Images)

Victims of acid attacks in India have taken to the runway for a fashion show to raise funds for fellow survivors.

The charity catwalk took place in New Delhi and was hosted by Make Love Not Scars, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to providing medical aid and rehabilitation services for acid attack survivors.

One model explained that her attack left her too scared to leave the house, however, she added that taking part in events such as these have helped to boost her confidence.

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“People would say what happened to you?” said Reshma Bano Qureshi, who also walked in New York Fashion Week.

“They would say, ‘no one will marry you.’ They’d say, ‘with a deformed face you’re not beautiful.’ But I’m proud and confident of who I am,” the defiant victim told AFP.

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“I want people to know the face is not what makes you beautiful, it is your heart,” the 20-year-old added.

11 women took to the runway in total, with 10 of them being acid attack survivors while one was a transgender member of staff at the Lalit hotel where the show took place.

The event was a huge success, explained Tania Singh, who is vice president of Make Love Not Scars.

(AFP/Getty Images (AFP/Getty Images)

She told Barcroft Media that even though the majority of people know what acid attacks are, meeting the victims gives you an entirely different understanding of what it’s like to actually experience something so violent.

“Meeting them makes a huge difference,” she said.

“The people in the audience are actually the ones who can make a difference and push for policy change and create awareness.”