Sheroes Hangout

Last updated

Sheroes Hangout is a cafe and community in India, set up by the Chhanv Foundation and run by survivors of acid attacks. The cafe aims to increase awareness of acid attacks and empower acid attack survivors. There are currently three cafe locations in Delhi, Agra and Lucknow. [1]

History

The first cafe, located in Agra, was opened in 2014 by Alok Dixit [1] of Stop Acid Attacks, a nonprofit based in New Delhi. Since that time, the cafe has expanded to open a second location in Lucknow. [2]

The cafe began as a crowdfunded project, [1] and it operated with a pay what you want model. Early employees did not know how to run a restaurant, so they opted against setting prices, in case they made mistakes. This model remained in place for many years, [2] but the cafe now features a fixed menu with fixed prices, as of 2020. [1]

Prior to working at the cafe, many of the women at Sheroes led solitary lives. They struggled with feelings of shame and trauma. About half of the women were attacked by relatives, and nearly all of them were attacked by people they knew. Oftentimes, they were attacked after rejecting marriage proposals or sexual advances. [3] Following the attacks, some women rarely went outside, in part due to the shame attached to their physical appearance. [1] Some women endured multiple surgeries, and they often struggled to find employment. Furthermore, they sometimes dealt with family or community pressure to stay silent on their attacks. [2]

For these reasons, Sheroes Hangout granted the women a place to find acceptance, community, and a means of income. Some of the women are now the primary earners in their families. The cafe is decorated with colorful murals, and there are books for customers to read on the bookshelves. A documentary on the cafe is available as well. Many of the patrons of the cafe are foreign tourists. [3] As of April 2019, there were nine women working at the cafe in Agra and twelve women working at the cafe in Lucknow. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agra</span> Metropolis in Uttar Pradesh, India

Agra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about 230 kilometres (140 mi) south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the fourth-most populous city in Uttar Pradesh and twenty-third most populous city in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etawah</span> City in Uttar Pradesh, India

Etawah, also known as Ishtikapuri, is a city on the banks of Yamuna River in the state of Western Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawah District. Etawah's population of 256,838 makes it the 180th most populous city in India. The city lies 300 km (190 mi) southeast of the national capital New Delhi, 230 km (140 mi) northwest of the state capital Lucknow, 120 km east of Agra and 140 km west of Kanpur. The city was an important centre for the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It is also the sangam or confluence of the Yamuna and Chambal rivers. It is the 26th most populous city in Uttar Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mir Taqi Mir</span> Indian Urdu and Persian-language poet (1723–1810)

Mir Muhammad Taqi, known as Mir Taqi Mir, was an Indian poet, author and literary critic of the Urdu and Persian languages. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi school of Urdu ghazal and is often remembered as one of the best Urdu poets of all time and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the language. His pen name (takhallus) was Mīr (میر), and he spent the latter part of his life in the court of Asaf-ud-Daulah in Lucknow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firozabad</span> City in Uttar Pradesh, India

Firozabad is a city near Agra in Firozabad district in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the centre of India's glassmaking industry and is known for the quality of the bangles and glassware produced here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ram Prasad Bismil</span> Indian revolutionary, poet & writer (1897-1927)

Ram Prasad Bismil was an Indian poet, writer, and revolutionary who fought against British Raj, participating in the Mainpuri Conspiracy of 1918, and the Kakori Conspiracy of 1925. He composed in Urdu and Hindi under pen names Ram, Agyat and Bismil, becoming widely known under the latter. He was also a translator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Uttar Pradesh</span>

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India with a population of nearly 240 million people. The economy of Uttar Pradesh is the fifth largest among states in India. At current prices, the gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Uttar Pradesh is estimated to be ₹24.39 lakh crore (US$290 billion) in 2023–24. Merchandise exports from Uttar Pradesh reached US$21.03 billion in FY22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telephone numbers in India</span>

Telephone numbers in India are administered under the National Numbering Plan of 2003 by the Department of Telecommunications of the Government of India. The numbering plan was last updated in 2015. The country code "91" was assigned to India by the International Telecommunication Union in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Agra</span>

The Battle of Agra was a comparatively minor but nevertheless decisive action at the end of a prolonged siege during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acid attack</span> Form of violent assault

An acid attack, also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, torture, or kill". Perpetrators of these attacks throw corrosive liquids at their victims, usually at their faces, burning them, and damaging skin tissue, often exposing and sometimes dissolving the bones. Acid attacks can lead to permanent, partial, or complete blindness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashif Shaikh</span>

Ashif Shaikh is a social activist from India who has worked for ending sexual violence against women and children, eradication of manual scavenging, forced labour practices and human trafficking in India. He is the founder of Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan and the non profit organisation, Jan Sahas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agra–Lucknow Expressway</span> Longest expressway in India

The Agra–Lucknow Expressway is a 302 km long, 6-lane wide access-controlled expressway constructed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) to reduce traffic in already congested roads and to reduce pollution and carbon footprint. The expressway reduced the distance between the cities of Agra and Lucknow in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and is presently one of the India's longest operational expressways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation</span> Company that operates the Lucknow Metro in Uttar Pradesh, India

The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation(UPMRC) is a joint venture company that operates the Lucknow Metro, Agra Metro and Kanpur Metro.The Varanasi Metro, Prayagraj Metro, Gorakhpur Metro, and Bareilly Metro are proposed by UPMRC. The company's headquarters is at Vipin Khand, Gomti Nagar in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violence against women in India</span> Public health issue of violent acts against women

Violence against women in India refers to physical or sexual violence committed against a woman, typically by a man. Common forms of violence against women in India include acts such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, and murder. There are several forms of violence against women, murder, female infanticide, sexual crimes, acid throwing, perpetuation.

Anuja Trehan Kapur is an Indian criminal psychologist who is also known as a counselor, social activist and advocate. Editor- Atul Tiwari

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swati Maliwal</span> Indian social activist and politician (born 1984)

Swati Maliwal is a social activist and politician. She currently serves as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing Delhi. She participated in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement led by social activist Anna Hazare and later, served as the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) from 2015 to 2024.

<i>Uyare</i> 2019 Indian Malayalam-language drama film

Uyare is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film directed by Manu Ashokan, written by Bobby & Sanjay and produced by the sister-trio Shenuga, Shegna, and Sherga. The film stars Parvathy Thiruvothu, Asif Ali and Tovino Thomas with Siddique, Anarkali Marikar and Prathap Pothen in supporting roles. The story follows the life of Pallavi Raveendran (Parvathy), an aviation student who survives an acid attack that jeopardizes her career. Filming that began in November 2018 was completed by the end of January 2019.

COVID-19 Pandemic spread to Uttar Pradesh in March 2020. While the World Health Organization praised the UP government for its contact tracing efforts, there were several other issues in its management of the pandemic, including under reportage of cases by the government, vaccine shortages and dismal conditions of COVID-19 hospitals.

Niraj Gera is an Indian photographer based in New Delhi., social activist and a faculty member at the Art of Living Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pragya Prasun</span> Indian founder of NGO supporting survivors of acid attacks

Pragya Prasun is an Indian activist who survived an acid attack and set up the Atijeevan Foundation. The organisation has supported more than 250 other survivors and in 2019, she received the Nari Shakti Puraskar awarded the Government of India in recognition of her work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chhanv Foundation</span> Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)

The Chhanv Foundation is a non-governmental organization (NGO) set up by Alok Dixit and Ashish Shukla in 2013 in order to help the survivors of acid attacks. It runs cafés known under the social enterprise Sheroes Hangout in Agra, Lucknow and Noida which works for the rehabilitation and employment of acid attack survivors. The NGO received the Nari Shakti Puraskar and in 2020 stated it had helped over 100 survivors of acid attacks.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "These cafes in Agra and Lucknow are run by acid attack survivors". Condé Nast Traveller India. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  2. 1 2 3 Donovan, Louise (2018-07-27). "Meet Sheroes, The Acid Attack Survivors Fighting Back". ELLE. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  3. 1 2 "Beyond the Taj Mahal: The Agra café staffed by India's acid attack survivors". Adventure.com. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  4. ↑ "This cafe in India is fully run by acid attack survivors". Los Angeles Times. 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.