Hermine deBrower

de Brouwer Creative project 06.01.17
Hermine
2°3
Nowadays, even though many social problems in the world
have been partly solved, in certain places things still need to be
changed. For me, if we want the world to evolve, everyone needs to
have all the rights a human needs and take every opportunity
weather you are a woman, a man, black, white or a child.
The story of a woman named Reshma Bano Qureshi inspired me
due to her difficult path that, for once, ended very well.
Reshma Bano Qureshi, the daughter of a Mumbai-based taxi
driver went to Uttar Pradesh in 2014 for a visit to her hometown for
an upcoming wedding.
As many people are aware India is a huge country where
poverty is present. This poverty leads to many social issues such as
lack of education, inequalities and violence

Reshma's life changed drastically when she was only
seventeen years old. Her brother-in-law and his friends assaulted
her at a railway station and threw acid on her face. Reshma's
brother-in-law mistook her for her elder sister, since both of them
were wearing burqas, and that's why the attack took place. Her
brother-in-law wanted to throw acid to her sister’s face because she
broke up with him. In the months that followed, Reshma's life
plunged into darkness. Aid didn't come easily, and Reshma started
having suicidal thoughts about herself.
However, things started taking a turn for the better when she
met Ria Sharma, the founder of Make Love Not Scars, an NGO that
pioneered the « #EndAcidSale » movement in India. From helping
her overcome her suicidal thoughts to supporting Reshma's
decision not to cover her face in public. In 2015 Reshma became
the ambassador of the « #EndAcidSale » campaign. The campaign
used short videos to propagate their message. Reshma would
usually give a beauty tip and follow it up by talking about how it
was easier to buy concentrated acid in the country, than to get your
hands on the perfect beauty product (One of her videos on red
lipstick became viral).

FTL Moda invited her to walk the runway at New York Fashion
Week which is an important event in the global fashion calendar.
Her presence during this catwalk was a success.
Her path gives hope to a lot of women, it shows that you can
always have a second chance. Her presence during the fashion show
helped people realize that this world needs change, justice and that
some need help. She proudly represented acid attack survivors
aspiring to move on to a better life. Retime Bano Qureshi hasn’t
only changed society’s perception of beauty but she has also made
people pay attention to an important issue plaguing the women of
her country.