mmalabanan
Believe it or not, a woman can be punished or tortured for refusing a marriage proposal in Pakistan.
These harrowing photos show the devastating effects when a woman chooses to follow her heart in a country where arranged marriage is widely practiced. These brave women, who were left permanently disfigured for the choices they made, were doused in acid for simply refusing to marry a man they don’t love. Still, they are luckier than women who choose to spend their lifetime with a man they don’t have romantic feelings for.
Photographer Emilio Morenatti decided to capture the violence these Pakistani women experienced by photographing the victims who were punished for the “crime” of rejecting a man.
Irum Saeed, 30
This is the face of a woman who was attacked with acid after rejecting a man’s marriage proposal at the age of 18. As a result, her face, back and shoulders were burned. She has undergone 25 surgeries to correct the damage.
Kanwal Kayum, 26
Kanwal’s photo was taken a year after a man, whom she refused to marry, threw acid in her face. She has never had any plastic surgery since the brutal attack.
Shahnaz Bibi, 35
A decade ago, Shahnaz, who has never had plastic surgery, was doused with acid by a relative during a family conflict.
Saira Liaqat, 26
Saira, who is holding a photo of herself taken prior to the attack, was married at the age of 15. However, she had to stay with her parents until she finished her studies. Her husband, who wasn’t happy about the arrangement, attacked her with acid as punishment. She has undergone nine surgeries since then.
Featured image credits to Emilio Morenatti.
