"Gender violence in Pakistan"

This breaks my heart. How can anyone be this cruel? It's fucking barbaric!


Photographer: Emilio Morenatti

Irum Saeed, 30, was burned on her face, back and shoulders when a boy whom she rejected for marriage threw acid on her. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times.

Shameem Akhter, 18 was raped by three boys who then threw acid on her. Shameem has undergone plastic surgery 10 times.

Najaf Sultana, 16.At the age of five Najaf was burned by her father while she was sleeping, because he didn’t want to have another girl in the family. Najaf became blind and after being abandoned by both her parents she now lives with relatives. She has undergone plastic surgery 15 times.

Shehnaz Usman, 36, was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute. Shehnaz has undergone plastic surgery 10 times.

Shahnaz Bibi, 35. Ten years ago Shahnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute. She has never undergone plastic surgery.

Kanwal Kayum, 26. Kanwal was burned with acid by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has never undergone plastic surgery.

Munira Asef, 23.Munira was burned with acid by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has undergone plastic surgery 7 times.

Bushra Shari, 39. Bushra was burned with acid thrown by her husband five years ago because she was trying to divorce him. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times.

Memuna Khan, 21, was burned by a group of boys who threw acid on her to settle a dispute between their family and Menuna’s. She has undergone plastic surgery 21 times.

Zainab Bibi, 17, was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage . She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.

Naila Farhat, 19, was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has undergone plastic surgery several times.

Saira Liaqat, 26, holds a portrait of herself before being burned. When she was fifteen, Saira was married to a relative who would later attack her with acid after insistently demanding her to live with him, although the families had agreed she wouldn’t join him until she finished school. Saira has undergone plastic surgery 9 times.