Depilex Smileagain and dsf girls get first page coverage on the pages of Metro International. This magazine is published in 21 countries. This was also published in the UN woman edition. Click this link to view the pdf of the magazine.
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Silent Veil a documentary by Depilex Smileagain by depilexsmileagain
Silent Veil is a documentary film about the acid burn victims in Pakistan. Depilex Smileagain is a supportive organization which helps in the rehabilitation of such victims by providing them with surgeries and skin treatments. Once the acid victims have recovered, Depilex Smileagain also trains them professionally in their fields of choice and also helps them getting a job or starting a business of their own.
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Musarrat Misbah In A Nutshell
Masarrat Misbah has a dynamic persona with multiple talents and is a name that needs no introduction. She is a distinguished entrepreneur, cosmetologist and philanthropist. As a beautician, she is Pakistan's first beauty expert, who initiated the trend of professional beauty salons in the country. Her charismatic and promising personality reflects vividly her love for beauty. She deserves admiration for her empathy for
Musarrat Misbah was born on November 25, 1959 in Karachi. Her father Mr. Misbah Uddin Khan is a business tycoon and her mother Ms. Anisa is a social worker, philanthropist and a prominent personality of Karachi. Masarat Misbah spent early years of her life in Karachi. Being the eldest daughter amongst six sisters and two brothers, she was raised and treated as a totally independent individual since her childhood.
Initially Musarat Misbah committed herself fully to help women look beautiful and quickly ascended the ladder of success as a beautician. But something deep inside always reminded her that this was not the ultimate goal she wanted to achieve. Even though she belongs to an affluent family and has always enjoyed a luxurious life, she was constantly thoughtful of the plight of the women who had lost their charm in acid attacks and burning incidents.
With a strong desire to make a meaningful contribution and a will to bring about a positive change in the lives of those who had suffered due to atrocities of deliberate burning, she decided to establish an NGO and eventually laid the basis of Depilex Smileagain Foundation in 2005. Though she is extremely successful in the realms of business and cosmetology, her noble cause to help and rehabilitate acid and burn crimes' victims has transformed her into a philanthropist who is envied by many.
For her valuable contributions in various fields of life, Masarrat Misbah is the recipient of several prestigious awards. As the President of Depilex Smileagain Foundation, she is the first woman from Pakistan who has been awarded by the Italian Government on Women's Day for her courage and commitment. Within Pakistan, for her untiring efforts as a beautician, entrepreneur, social worker and philanthropist she has received several exalted awards. In April 2010, she was also honoured with the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance.
Apart from that, Masarrat Misbah had also been invited as a valued guest to deliver various lectures on beauty, philanthropy and social work at multiple universities nationwide.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between both parties to collaborate in capacity building of acid burn survivors. Tusdec would provide free of cost vocational training to women passing through treatment and recovery with the help of Depilex Smileagain Foundation. The training would be delivered in various conventional and modern trades.
Women would be facilitated with free of charge transportation and a monthly stipend aiding them to manage their medications. Tusdec also plans to launch various vocational training programs to stabilize such survivors as the socioeconomic strength of women would contribute towards economic progress of Pakistan. “Depilex Smileagain Foundation would mark the candidates who are going to receive technical and vocational training from Tusdec considering their aptitude, ability and stage of treatment.”
Statistics on violence against women make for a depressing read in Pakistan and this year is no exception. Though a report by the Aurat Foundation states the reported cases of violence against women in 2012 saw a drop of 12 per cent from the previous year, cases of acid attacks saw a whopping increase of 89 per cent in the same period. This is a horrific figure made gloomier by the realization that this all happened despite the passing in 2011 of two laws deemed pro-women: The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill and The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill. Laws are supposed to act as deterrents to crime and while one cannot expect them to immediately arrest heinous acts overnight, a spike of 89 per cent in a year is rather extraordinary. Perhaps, it explains why a group of nine MPAs from the ruling coalition presented a bill last month calling for the death penalty for those found guilty of carrying out acid attacks. They also asked that investigation of an acid attack be completed within a fortnight of a case being filed and a trial be conducted in a week, adding that if the investigating officer is found negligent, he be fined or punished for two years. That lawmakers would consider something as drastic as capital punishment, perhaps, indicates their level of frustration at being unable to find a way to tackle this crime that has placed Pakistan as one of the nations with the highest incidents of acid attacks in the world — with an Oscar for a documentary on the subject to prove it.
Perhaps where the frustration lies is in societal attitudes, nay obsession, towards honour. An acid attack on a woman is most often linked to her honour, or lack thereof, and almost always destroys her life. Those who work in rehabilitating the lives of survivors truly deserve accolades. However, laws alone cannot bring about change. Gender equality must be inculcated from an early age and tolerance for all views trumpeted, for that can serve as a powerful deterrent.
Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/499388/preventing-acid-attacks-2/
Statistics on violence against women make for a depressing read in Pakistan and this year is no exception. Though a report by the Aurat Foundation states the reported cases of violence against women in 2012 saw a drop of 12 per cent from the previous year, cases of acid attacks saw a whopping increase of 89 per cent in the same period. This is a horrific figure made gloomier by the realization that this all happened despite the passing in 2011 of two laws deemed pro-women: The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill and The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill. Laws are supposed to act as deterrents to crime and while one cannot expect them to immediately arrest heinous acts overnight, a spike of 89 per cent in a year is rather extraordinary. Perhaps, it explains why a group of nine MPAs from the ruling coalition presented a bill last month calling for the death penalty for those found guilty of carrying out acid attacks. They also asked that investigation of an acid attack be completed within a fortnight of a case being filed and a trial be conducted in a week, adding that if the investigating officer is found negligent, he be fined or punished for two years. That lawmakers would consider something as drastic as capital punishment, perhaps, indicates their level of frustration at being unable to find a way to tackle this crime that has placed Pakistan as one of the nations with the highest incidents of acid attacks in the world — with an Oscar for a documentary on the subject to prove it.
Perhaps where the frustration lies is in societal attitudes, nay obsession, towards honour. An acid attack on a woman is most often linked to her honour, or lack thereof, and almost always destroys her life. Those who work in rehabilitating the lives of survivors truly deserve accolades. However, laws alone cannot bring about change. Gender equality must be inculcated from an early age and tolerance for all views trumpeted, for that can serve as a powerful deterrent.
Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/499388/preventing-acid-attacks-2/
Kanwal Qayuum, Sameena Naz, Saba Naz are the three girls selected this year by the Italian Doctors for further surgeries in Italy. These three girls were the victims of brutal acid attacks and have already gone through multiple surgeries and clinical treatments. Depilex Smileagain has not just helped them with their treatments and surgeries but also with the psychological treatments they received to heal the agonizing pain and suffering they went through as a result of these attacks.
This year during the visits of doctors from Italy, these girls were selected for final reconstructive surgeries that will hopefully bring smiles back to their faces and bring back the life they always dreamed of living. Depilex Smileagain is calling out for your help in bearing the expenses of their visit and stay in Italy. Let’s all hope and pray that these will be the last treatments they go through to get what always belonged to them. THEIR SMILES. To donate online you can use this link or go to our website
