114-456: Sarder Jahangir Hossain , Executive Director. The Acid Survivors Foundation is a Bangladeshi non-governmental organisation dedicated to raising awareness and preventing acid attacks and providing survivors with medical and legal aid. The Foundation was founded in Dhaka in 1999 by British physician Dr John Morrison with considerable assistance from British surgeon, Dr Ronald Hiles and subsequently,
228-586: A microenterprise . Those from the private-sector side respond that, because money is fungible , such a restriction is impossible to enforce, and that in any case it should not be up to rich people to determine how poor people use their money. There has been a long-standing debate over the sharpness of the trade-off between 'outreach' (the ability of a microfinance institution to reach poorer and more remote people) and its ' sustainability ' (its ability to cover its operating costs—and possibly also its costs of serving new clients—from its operating revenues). Although it
342-475: A "deposit collector", collects money from slum dwellers, mostly women, in order for them to accumulate savings. Jyothi does her rounds throughout the city, collecting Rs5 a day from people in the slums for 220 days, however not always 220 days in a row since these women do not always have the funds available to put them into savings. They ultimately end up with Rs1000 at the end of the process. However, there are some issues with this microfinance saving program. One of
456-520: A commitment to community all achieve positive results from prospective financiers. Unfortunately, these labels disproportionately align with women rather than men, particularly in the developing world. The result is that microfinance continues to rely on restrictive gender norms rather than seek to subvert them through economic redress in terms of foundation change: training, business management and financial education are all elements which might be included in parameters of female-aimed loans and until they are
570-555: A dark room, the women were reportedly raped and beaten. Screams of the women and of the children being put in acid were also heard. Though comprehensive statistics on acid attacks in South America are sparse, a recent study investigating acid assault in Bogota , Colombia , provides some insight for this region. According to the article, the first identified survivor of acid violence in Bogota
684-458: A downward trend in income inequality. Rutherford argues that the basic problem that poor people face as money managers is to gather a "usefully large" amount of money. Building a new home may involve saving and protecting diverse building materials for years until enough are available to proceed with construction. Children's schooling may be funded by buying chickens and raising them for sale as needed for expenses, uniforms, bribes, etc. Because all
798-447: A female victim was attacked with a knife twice, but no criminal charges were filed against the suspect. The victim was only given police aid after being hospitalized following an acid attack, raising questions of police apathy in dealing with cases of harassment. Another factor that puts victims at increased risk for an acid assault is their socioeconomic status , as those living in poverty are more likely to be attacked. As of 2013 ,
912-601: A group of four concerned citizens namely i) Mr. Kazi Fazlur Rahman, former adviser to the caretaker president. ii) Dr. S. L. Sen, Plastic Surgeon. iii) Advocate Sigma Huda & iv) Mr. Selim Ahmed on 12 May 1999 with substantial support from UNICEF and the Canadian International Development Agency . Nasreen Huq a commanding personality in the field of social reform and human rights in Bangladesh campaigned internationally for ASF. In 2005, Monira Rahman
1026-516: A group. Over time, microfinance has emerged as a larger movement whose object is: "a world in which as everyone, especially the lower income classes and socially marginalized people and households have access to a wide range of affordable, high quality financial products and services, including not just credit but also savings, insurance, payment services, and fund transfers ." Proponents of microfinance often claim that such access will help struggling classes out of poverty , including participants in
1140-516: A key aspect of the microcredit paradigm: that poor people get out of poverty by borrowing, building microenterprises and increasing their income. The new paradigm places more attention on the efforts of poor people to reduce their many vulnerabilities by keeping more of what they earn and building up their assets. The microfinance project of "saving up" is exemplified in the slums of the south-eastern city of Vijayawada, India. This microfinance project functions as an unofficial banking system where Jyothi,
1254-422: A limited scope of low-skilled, low-earning, informal work. Part of this is a lack of permissivity in the society; part a reflection of the added burdens of household maintenance that women shoulder alone as a result of microfinancial empowerment; and part a lack of training and education surrounding gendered conceptions of economics. In particular, the shift in norms such that women continue to be responsible for all
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#17330857014071368-457: A liter of concentrated sulfuric acid at motorbike mechanic shops for about 40 U.S. cents. Nitric acid costs around $ 1.50 per liter and is available for purchase at gold or jewelry shops, as polishers generally use it to purify gold and metals. Hydrochloric acid is also used for polishing jewelry, as well as for making soy sauce , cosmetics , and traditional medicine/ amphetamine drugs. Due to such ease of access, many organizations call for
1482-433: A lump sum at one time in order to pay or save for specific needs they have. There are several key debates at the boundaries of microfinance. Before determining loan prices, one should take into account the following costs: 1) administrative costs by the bank (MFI) and 2) transaction cost by the client/customer. Customers, on the other hand, may have expenses for travelling to the bank branch, acquiring official documents for
1596-404: A majority of acid attacks are aimed at the face, several articles thoroughly reviewed the medical implications for these victims. The severity of the damage depends on the concentration of the acid and the time before the acid is thoroughly washed off with water or neutralized with a neutralizing agent. The acid can rapidly eat away skin, the layer of fat beneath the skin, and in some cases even
1710-616: A man to throw lye (an alkaline rather than acid substance, but with similar corrosive effects) in the face of his ex-girlfriend Linda Riss. Riss suffered blindness and permanent scarring. Pugach served 14 years in prison for the incident. Gabrielle White, a 22-year-old single mother living in Detroit, was attacked on 26 August 2006 by a stranger. She was left with third and fourth degree burns on her face, throat, and arms, leaving her blind and without one ear. She also miscarried her unborn child. A 25-year-old nursing student at Merritt College
1824-462: A man's face and body while he lay in bed caused him, among other serious injuries, to become paralyzed from the neck down. Acid assault survivors face many mental health issues upon recovery. These mental health issues being primarily depression and anxiety. Additionally, victims reported lowered self-esteem according to the Rosenberg scale and increased self-consciousness , both in general and in
1938-589: A nationwide notification system to identify acid attacks within 24-hours. Within 48-hours the situation is to be investigated and the victim brought to the ASF hospital in Dhaka. A 24/7 hotline is also maintained, which allows attacks to be reported and victims to be transferred to the ASF hospital. The NRS also allows government agencies, NGOs, and the media to stay informed. Acid attack victims require specialised treatments including reconstructive plastic surgery, physiotherapy , and
2052-704: A poverty-fighting tool. Offering loans at interest and fee rates of 37% mean that borrowers who do not manage to earn at least a 37% rate of return may actually end up poorer as a result of accepting the loans. According to a recent survey of microfinance borrowers in Ghana published by the Center for Financial Inclusion, more than one-third of borrowers surveyed reported struggling to repay their loans. Some resorted to measures such as reducing their food intake or taking children out of school in order to repay microfinance debts that had not proven sufficiently profitable. In recent years,
2166-426: A punishment for attending school. Acid attacks due to religious conflicts have been also reported. Both males and females have been victims of acid attacks for refusing to convert to another religion. Conflicts regarding property issues, land disputes, and inheritance have also been reported as motivations of acid attacks. Acid attacks related to conflicts between criminal gangs occur in many places, including
2280-589: A redress of gender norms might be instituted through individual selection fomented by the processes of such programs, but the reality is as yet uncertain. Studies have noted that the likelihood of lending to women, individually or in groups, is 38% higher than rates of lending to men. This is also due to a general trend for interpersonal microfinance relations to be conducted on grounds of similarity and internal/external recognition: lenders want to see something familiar, something supportable in potential borrowers, so an emphasis on family, goals of education and health, and
2394-511: A result many of them do not show up in official statistics. Some of the most common motivations of perpetrators include: Acid attacks often occur as revenge against a woman who rejects a proposal of marriage or a sexual advance. Gender inequality and women's position in the society, in relation to men, plays a significant role in these types of attacks. Attacks against individuals based on their religious beliefs or social or political activities also occur. These attacks may be targeted against
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#17330857014072508-409: A result, many microfinance initiatives require a large amount of social capital or trust in order to work effectively. The ability of poorer people to save may also fluctuate over time as unexpected costs may take priority which could result in them being able to save little or nothing some weeks. Rates of inflation may cause funds to lose their value, thus financially harming the saver and not benefiting
2622-652: A reversal in findings: 60% of the acid attack patients were male while 40% were female. In both nations, younger individuals were more likely to suffer from an acid attack: the average age in the Nigeria study was 20.6 years, while Ugandan analysis shows 59% of survivors were 19–34 years of age. Motivation for acid assault in these African countries is similar to that of Cambodia . Relationship conflicts caused 35% of acid attacks in Uganda in 1985–2011, followed by property conflicts at 8%, and business conflicts at 5%. Disaggregated data
2736-639: A role model for others ASF also provides emergency financial support to victim's who are the sole breadwinner of their family and provides education support to encourage survivors to continue primary and secondary schooling. The effective prevention of acid violence can only be ensured if all perpetrators are brought to justice and the state can effectively control the illegal use of acid. Prior to 2002 acid related offences were primarily dealt with using The Prevention of Oppression Against Women and Children Act of 2000. ASF along with other humans' rights organisations, social activists, and pressure groups advocated for
2850-523: A secured livelihood and successfully reintegration into mainstream society. Legal assistance Emergency family assistance Support for education Psychological counseling Grant to develop IGA || Vocational training Life skills training Social skills training Leadership training Help with job seeking & placement Survivors forums Government linkage || Improved income Improved living conditions Asset management skills Financial management skills Confidence Improved social capital Becomes
2964-684: A single 100-bed facility for treating all these cases, which ASF and the Department of International Development both agree is not sufficient. Acid attack 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
3078-526: A specific individual, due to their activities, or may be perpetrated against random persons merely because they are part of a social group or community. In Europe, Konstantina Kouneva , a former member of the European Parliament , had acid thrown on her in 2008, in what was described as "the most severe assault on a trade unionist in Greece for 50 years." Female students have had acid thrown in their faces as
3192-835: A stricter regulation on the acid economy. Specific actions include required licenses for all acid traders, a ban on concentrated acid in certain areas, and an enhanced system of monitoring for acid sales, such as the need to document all transactions involving acid. However, some scholars have warned that such stringent regulation may result in black market trading of acid, which law enforcements must keep in mind. High incidence of acid assaults have been reported in some African countries, including Nigeria , Uganda, and South Africa . Unlike occurrences in South Asia, acid attacks in these countries show less gender discrimination. In Uganda, 57% of acid assault victims were female and 43% were male. A study focusing on chemical burns in Nigeria revealed
3306-491: A walk and threw a cup of acid in her face, resulting in serious burns. Two weeks later, Storro admitted that she herself had lied about the attack and had, in fact, poured the acid on herself. She attributed her actions to untreated body dysmorphic disorder and pleaded guilty to lying to police, a misdemeanor. She also charged with three counts of second-degree theft in regards to donations she'd received to help aid her in her recovery but these charges were dropped after she repaid
3420-461: A woman named Natalia Ponce de León was assaulted by Jonathan Vega, who threw a liter of sulphuric acid on her face and body. Vega, a former neighbor, was reported to have been "obsessed" with Ponce de León and had been making death threats against her after she turned down his proposal for a relationship. 24% of her body was severely burned as a result of the attack. Ponce de León has undergone 15 reconstruction surgeries on her face and body since
3534-420: Is a model for many countries, and they follow Bangladesh's lead in many legislative reforms. However, several reports highlighted the need for an increased, legal role of NGOs to offer rehabilitation support to acid survivors. Additionally, nearly all research stressed the need for stricter regulation of acid sales to combat this social issue. Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been formed in
Acid Survivors Foundation - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-505: Is an example of a microfinance institution. Microfinance initially had a limited definition: the provision of microloans to small scale entrepreneurs and small(informal sectors) businesses lacking access to credit . The two main mechanisms for the delivery of financial services to such clients were: (1) relationship-based banking for individual entrepreneurs and small businesses; and (2) group-based model, where several entrepreneurs come together to apply for loans and other services as
3762-435: Is based on the philosophy that even small amounts of credit can help end the cycle of poverty. Another benefit produced from the microfinancing initiative is that it presents opportunities, such as extending education and jobs. Families receiving microfinancing are less likely to pull their children out of school for economic reasons. As well, in relation to employment, people are more likely to open small businesses that will aid
3876-746: Is difficult to establish because many acid attacks are not reported or recorded by authorities. For example, a 2010 study in The Lancet described that there are "no reliable statistics" on the prevalence of acid attacks in Pakistan . A 2007 literature review analyzed 24 studies in 13 countries over the past 40 years, covering 771 cases. According to the London-based charity Acid Survivors Trust International , 80% of acid attacks are on women, and acid assaults are grossly under-estimated. In some regions, assaults perpetrated on female victims by males are often driven by
3990-595: Is estimated at 37%, with rates reaching as high as 70% in some markets. The reason for the high interest rates is not primarily cost of capital. Indeed, the local microfinance organizations that receive zero-interest loan capital from the online microlending platform Kiva charge average interest and fee rates of 35.21%. Rather, the main reason for the high cost of microfinance loans is the high transaction cost of traditional microfinance operations relative to loan size. Microfinance practitioners have long argued that such high interest rates are simply unavoidable, because
4104-530: Is generally agreed that microfinance practitioners should seek to balance these goals to some extent, there are a wide variety of strategies, ranging from the minimalist profit-orientation of BancoSol in Bolivia to the highly integrated not-for-profit orientation of BRAC in Bangladesh . This is true not only for individual institutions, but also for governments engaged in developing national microfinance systems. BRAC
4218-509: Is impossible for women to do more than pay off a current loan only to take on another in a cyclic pattern which is beneficial to the financier but hardly to the borrower. This gender essentializing crosses over from institutionalized lenders such as the Grameen Bank into interpersonal direct lending through charitable crowd-funding operations, such as Kiva. More recently, the popularity of non-profit global online lending has grown, suggesting that
4332-492: Is in favour of the group model. This particular model (used by many Microfinance institutions) makes financial sense, he says, because it reduces transaction costs. Microfinance programmes also need to be based on local funds. Poor people borrow from informal moneylenders and save with informal collectors. They receive loans and grants from charities . They buy insurance from state-owned companies. They receive funds transfers through formal or informal remittance networks. It
4446-434: Is not easy to distinguish microfinance from similar activities. It could be claimed that a government that orders state banks to open deposit accounts for poor consumers, or a moneylender that engages in usury , or a charity that runs a heifer pool are engaged in microfinance. Ensuring financial services to poor people is best done by expanding the number of financial institutions available to them, as well as by strengthening
4560-526: Is often not an option as acid survivors fall into a high risk category for investment. They initially do not have a regular source of income and do not feel confident about repayment of loans. ASF works to rehabilitate its patients through the use of the following measures: ASF advocates to ensure that survivors' legal rights are met. ASF's advocacy campaigns directly involve survivors as spokespersons for change. This allows campaigns to hold more clout and give survivors more self-confidence. ASF also lobbies with
4674-509: Is shown in Nairobi, Kenya which includes a Rotating Savings and Credit Associations or ROSCAs initiative. This is a small scale example, however Rutherford (2009) describes a woman he met in Nairobi and studied her ROSCA. Every day 15 women would save 100 shillings so there would be a lump sum of 1,500 shillings and every day 1 of the 15 women would receive that lump sum. This would continue for 15 days and another woman within this group would receive
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4788-681: Is that microcredit is addressing only half the problem, and arguably the less important half: poor people borrow to help them save and accumulate assets. However, microfinance is not the magical solution to take people out of poverty; it is merely a tool that the poor can use to raise their prospects for an escape from poverty. Most needs are met through a mix of saving and credit. A benchmark impact assessment of Grameen Bank and two other large microfinance institutions in Bangladesh found that for every $ 1 they were lending to clients to finance rural non-farm micro-enterprise , about $ 2.50 came from other sources, mostly their clients' savings. This parallels
4902-473: Is the only international organisation whose sole purpose is to end acid violence. The organisation was founded in 2002 and now works with a network of six Acid Survivors Foundations in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Uganda that it has helped to form. Acid Survivors Trust International has helped to provide medical expertise and training to partners, raised valuable funds to support survivors of acid attacks and helped change laws. A key role for ASTI
5016-416: Is the subject of controversy, as it is claimed that microfinance improves the status of women through an alleviation of poverty. It is argued that by providing women with initial capital, they will be able to support themselves independent of men, in a manner which would encourage sustainable growth of enterprise and eventual self-sufficiency. This claim has yet to be proven in any substantial form. Moreover,
5130-530: Is to raise awareness of acid violence to an international audience so that increased pressure can be applied to governments to introduce stricter controls on the sale and purchase of acid. Indian acid attack survivor Shirin Juwaley founded the Palash Foundation to help other survivors with psychosocial rehabilitation. She also spearheads research into social norms of beauty and speaks publicly as an advocate for
5244-886: The Acid Survivors Foundation , Nairpokkho, Action Aid , and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee 's Community Empowerment & Strengthening Local Institutions Programme assist survivors. The Depilex Smileagain Foundation and The Acid Survivors Foundation in Pakistan operates in Islamabad , offering medical, psychological and rehabilitation support. The Acid Survivors Foundation in Uganda operates in Kampala and provides counseling and rehabilitation treatment to victims, as well as their families. The LICADHO ,
5358-585: The Microcredit Summit Campaign . For many, microfinance is a way to promote economic development , employment and growth through the support of micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses; for others it is a way for the disadvantaged/ less privileged to manage their finances more effectively and take advantage of economic opportunities while managing the risks. Critics often point to some of the ills of micro-credit that can create indebtedness. Many studies have tried to assess its impacts. New research in
5472-830: The United Kingdom where acid attacks are associated primarily with gang violence , the majority of both perpetrators and victims are male. The most notable effect of an acid attack is the lifelong bodily disfigurement. According to the Acid Survivors Foundation in Bangladesh , there is a high survival rate amongst victims of acid attacks. Consequently, the victim is faced with physical challenges, which require long-term surgical treatment, as well as psychological challenges, which require in-depth intervention from psychologists and counselors at each stage of physical recovery. These far-reaching effects on their lives impact their psychological, social, and economic viability in communities. The medical effects of acid attacks are extensive. As
5586-797: The developed world as financial are not monetized : that is, money is not used to carry them out. This is often the case when people need the services money can provide but do not have dispensable funds required for those services. This forces them to revert to other means of acquiring the funds. In their book, The Poor and Their Money , Stuart Rutherford and Sukhwinder Arora cite several types of needs: People find creative and often collaborative ways to meet these needs, primarily through creating and exchanging different forms of non-cash value. Common substitutes for cash vary from country to country, but typically include livestock, grains, jewelry and precious metals. As Marguerite S. Robinson describes in his book, The Micro Finance Revolution: Sustainable Finance for
5700-539: The 15th century to the founders of the European credit union movement in the 19th century (such as Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen ) and the founders of the microcredit movement in the 1970s (such as Muhammad Yunus and Al Whittaker ), have tested practices and built institutions designed to bring the kinds of opportunities and risk-management tools that financial services can provide to the doorsteps of poor people. The history of microfinancing can be traced back as far as
5814-720: The Association of the Blind in Cambodia, and the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity assist survivors of acid attacks. The Acid Survivors Foundation India operates from different centres with national headquarters at Kolkata and chapters at Delhi and Mumbai. Acid Survivors Trust International (UK registered charity no. 1079290) provides specialist support to its sister organizations in Africa and Asia. Acid Survivors Trust International
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#17330857014075928-466: The Bangladeshi community has access to health care . In addition to inadequate medical capabilities, many acid assault victims fail to report to the police due to a lack of trust in the force, a sense of hopelessness due to the attackers' impunity , and fear of retribution by the assailant. These problems are exacerbated by a lack of knowledge of how to treat burns: some victims have applied oil to
6042-598: The British Government would help ASF build an "ASF Burn Complex". The reduction in the number of acid related burn | British Parliamentary Undersecretary of State in the Department of International Development Stephen O'Brien plays a game with victims of acid attacks at the ASF Hospital in Dhaka , Bangladesh on 18 November 2011 cases has been in proportion to increasing reports of kerosene and gas attacks. Bangladesh has
6156-545: The Ex-Executive Director of ASF was awarded the Human Rights Award by Amnesty International . Bangladesh's ASF has subsequently been used as a model organisation for the establishment of ASFs in Uganda, Cambodia , and Pakistan, all of which are sustained by Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) also headed by Sir John Morrison. Upon its establishment the ASF worked in collaboration with BRAC to develop
6270-458: The Poor , the 1980s demonstrated that "micro finance could provide large-scale outreach profitably", and in the 1990s, "micro finance began to develop as an industry". In the 2000s, the microfinance industry's objective was to satisfy the unmet demand on a much larger scale, and to play a role in reducing poverty. While much progress has been made in developing a viable, commercial microfinance sector in
6384-654: The UK – were injured by an acid attack by men on a moped near Stone Town in Tanzania . A few cases also occurred in Ethiopia and Nigeria. Drug cartels such as the Los Zetas are known to use acid on civilians. For example, In the 2011 San Fernando massacre , Los Zetas members took away children from their mothers, and shot the rest of the civilians in a bus. The women were taken to a warehouse where many other women were held captive. Inside
6498-446: The UK, Greece, and Indonesia. According to researchers and activists, countries typically associated with acid assault include Bangladesh , India , Nepal , Cambodia , Vietnam , Laos , United Kingdom , Kenya , South Africa , Uganda , Pakistan , and Afghanistan . Acid attacks have been reported however in countries around the world, including: Additionally, anecdotal evidence for acid attacks exists in other regions of
6612-419: The acid, rather than rinsing thoroughly and completely with water for 30 minutes or longer to neutralize the acid. Such home remedies only serve to increase the severity of damage, as they do not counteract the acidity. The intention of the attacker is often to cause shame and pain rather than to kill the victim. In Britain, such attacks, particularly those against men, are believed to be underreported, and as
6726-564: The application of pressure garments. Patients usually need specialised treatment for the eye, ear, nose, mouth, neck, and/or other body parts. Other injuries and health conditions including fractures , diabetes , pregnancy, etc. will affect the course of treatment procedure. Upon ASF's inception in 1999, the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) , with its 8-bed burn unit, was the only hospital in Bangladesh that specialised in treating any form of burn injury. To partially rectify
6840-466: The area of microfinance calls for better understanding of the microfinance ecosystem so that the microfinance institutions and other facilitators can formulate sustainable strategies that will help create social benefits through better service delivery to the low-income population. Over the past centuries, practical visionaries, from the Franciscan friars who founded the community-oriented pawnshops of
6954-571: The areas with the highest occurrence of acid attacks to combat such attacks. Bangladesh has its Acid Survivors Foundation , which offers acid victims legal , medical , counseling , and monetary assistance in rebuilding their lives. Similar institutions exist in Uganda, which has its own Acid Survivors Foundation, and in Cambodia which uses the help of Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity . NGOs provide rehabilitation services for survivors while acting as advocates for social reform , hoping to increase support and awareness for acid assault. In Bangladesh,
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#17330857014077068-590: The attack. Three years before the attack took place, Colombia reported one of the highest rates of acid attacks per capita in the world. However, there was not an effective law in place until Ponce de León's campaign took off in the months after her attack. The new law, which is named after her, defines acid attacks as a specific crime and increases maximum sentences to 50 years in prison for convicted offenders. The law also seeks to provide victims with better state medical care including reconstructive surgery and psychological therapy. Ponce de León expressed hope that
7182-416: The attraction of women as a potential investment base is precisely because they are constrained by socio-cultural norms regarding such concepts of obedience, familial duty, household maintenance and passivity. The result of these norms is that while micro-lending may enable women to improve their daily subsistence to a more steady pace, they will not be able to engage in market-oriented business practice beyond
7296-559: The bones. Acid attacks can lead to permanent partial or complete blindness. The most common types of acid used in these attacks are sulfuric and nitric acid . Hydrochloric acid is sometimes used but is much less damaging. Aqueous solutions of strongly alkaline materials, such as caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) or ammonia , are used as well, particularly in areas where strong acids are controlled substances. The long-term consequences of these attacks may include blindness , as well as eye burns, with severe permanent scarring of
7410-507: The capacity of those institutions. In recent years there has also been increasing emphasis on expanding the diversity of institutions, since different institutions serve different needs. Some principles that summarize a century and a half of development practice were encapsulated in 2004 by CGAP and endorsed by the Group of Eight leaders at the G8 Summit on 10 June 2004: Microfinance is considered
7524-550: The collector. While the success of the Grameen Bank (which now serves over 7 million poor Bangladeshi women) has inspired the world, it has proved difficult to replicate this success. In nations with lower population densities, meeting the operating costs of a retail branch by serving nearby customers has proven considerably more challenging. Hans Dieter Seibel, board member of the European Microfinance Platform,
7638-463: The cost of making each loan cannot be reduced below a certain level while still allowing the lender to cover costs such as offices and staff salaries. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa credit risk for microfinance institutes is very high, because customers need years to improve their livelihood and face many challenges during this time. Financial institutes often do not even have a system to check
7752-425: The cost of microloans to below 10% for borrowers, including interest which is paid out to lenders. However, it remains to be seen whether such radical alternative models can reach the scale necessary to compete with traditional microfinance programs. Practitioners and donors from the charitable side of microfinance frequently argue for restricting microcredit to loans for productive purposes—such as to start or expand
7866-446: The creation of new jobs. Overall, the benefits outline that the microfinancing initiative is set out to improve the standard of living amongst impoverished communities. There are also many social and financial challenges for microfinance initiatives. For example, more articulate and better-off community members may cheat poorer or less-educated neighbours. This may occur intentionally or inadvertently through loosely run organizations. As
7980-577: The description of the attack is laconic or often implies that the act was inevitable or even justified. When acids contact the skin, response time can affect the severity of burns. If washed away with water or neutralized promptly, burns can be minimized or avoided entirely. However, areas unprotected by skin, such as the cornea of the eye or the lips, may be burned immediately on contact. Many victims are attacked in an area without immediate access to water, or unable to see due to being blinded or forced to keep their eyes closed to prevent additional burns to
8094-430: The domestic private sphere labour as well as undertaking public economic support for their families, independent of male aid increases rather than decreases burdens on already limited persons. If there were to be an exchange of labour, or if women's income were supplemental rather than essential to household maintenance, there might be some truth to claims of establishing long-term businesses; however when so constrained it
8208-529: The empowerment of all victims of disfigurement and discrimination. In 2011, the principal of an Indian college refused to have Juwaley speak at her school for fear that Juwaley's story of being attacked by her husband would make students "become scared of marriage". A positive correlation has been observed between acid attacks and ease of acid purchase. Sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acid are most commonly used and are all cheap and readily available in many instances. For example, often acid throwers can purchase
8322-590: The experience in the West, in which family businesses are funded mostly from savings, especially during start-up. Recent studies have also shown that informal methods of saving are unsafe. For example, a study by Wright and Mutesasira in Uganda concluded that "those with no option but to save in the informal sector are almost bound to lose some money—probably around one quarter of what they save there". The work of Rutherford, Wright and others has caused practitioners to reconsider
8436-421: The eye. Treatment for burn victims remains inadequate in many developing nations where incidence is high. Medical underfunding has resulted in very few burn centers available for victims in countries such as Uganda, Bangladesh , and Cambodia . Uganda has one specialized burn center in the entire nation, opening in 2003; Cambodia has only one burn facility for victims, and scholars estimate that only 30% of
8550-413: The face and body, along with far-reaching social, psychological, and economic difficulties. Although acid attacks occur all over the world, this type of violence is most common in developing regions, particularly South Asia . It is often a form of gender-based violence , with "a disproportionate impact on women" according to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI). However, in countries such as
8664-444: The families/spouses that care for them. As a result, divorce rates are high, with abandonment by husbands found in 25% of acid assault cases in Uganda (compared to only 3% of wives abandoning their disfigured husbands). Moreover, acid survivors who are single when attacked almost certainly become ostracized from society, effectively ruining marriage prospects. Some media outlets overwhelmingly avoid reporting acid attack violence, or
8778-412: The fundamental assumptions underlying microfinance: that microfinance borrowers need extensive monitoring and interaction with loan officers in order to benefit from and repay their loans. The P2P microlending service Zidisha is based on this premise, facilitating direct interaction between individual lenders and borrowers via an internet community rather than physical offices. Zidisha has managed to bring
8892-492: The fundamental reality of women as a disadvantaged section of societies in developing states will go untested. Microfinancing produces many benefits for poverty stricken and low-income households. One of the benefits is that it is very accessible. Banks today simply won't extend loans to those with little to no assets, and generally don't engage in small size loans typically associated with microfinancing. Through microfinancing small loans are produced and accessible. Microfinancing
9006-401: The government, NGOs, business organisations, and other agencies to provide rehabilitation support for survivors. To ensure that survivors are in a position to act as spokespersons, they will need to have secured livelihoods. As such, ASF complements government efforts by providing rehabilitation support to survivors through social protection and other schemes, which enable survivors to establish
9120-469: The importance of using water immediately after an attack. Information is given to do the following if any part of the body is exposed to acid or if acid is swallowed: 21 June 2011, British Minister of State for the Department of International Development Alan Duncan visits the ASF hospital and interacts with survivors. He also met with the Prime Minister to request the securing of a plot of land where
9234-539: The introduction of new laws to combat acid offences specifically. ASF, the newspaper Prothom Alo , and BRAC on International Women's Day mobilised over 5000 people to march alongside 100 acid attack survivors as a campaign for new laws. ASF's efforts have resulted in the creation of two laws on 17 April 2002, the Acid Crime Control Act (ACCA) and the Acid Control Act (ACA) , making it the first country in
9348-558: The issue into public attention. ASF has organised various school and college campaigns to motivate students into taking an active role in preventing of acid violence in their communities. The campaigns also help raise awareness as to the causes of acid violence, which will engender a change in attitude towards women and human relationships. The campaigns also work to sensitise youth to the social rehabilitation needs of victims and to encourage youth not to discriminate against students with scars and disfigurements. Students are also informed as to
9462-433: The issues is that while saving, clients are actually losing part of their savings. Jyothi takes interest from each client—about 20 out of every 220 payments, or Rs100 out of 1,100 or 9%. When these slum dwellers find someone they trust, they are willing to pay up to 30% to someone to safely collect and keep their savings. There is also the risk of entrusting their savings to unlicensed, informal, peripatetic collectors. However,
9576-424: The last few decades, several issues remain that need to be addressed before the industry will be able to satisfy massive worldwide demand. The obstacles or challenges in building a sound commercial microfinance industry include: Microfinance is the proper tool to reduce income inequality, allowing citizens from lower socio-economical classes to participate in the economy. Moreover, its involvement has shown to lead to
9690-562: The legal partners pursue court cases for each survivor, ASF's case managers monitor the role of the police and public prosecutors to ensure the utmost concern is given. Bangladesh has the highest reported incidence of acid violence in the world. In Bangladesh, acid violence is largely a gender-discriminatory crime against women. Since its inception, ASF has worked to create successful prevention campaigns which have led to significant reductions in acid attacks. ASF runs local and national prevention campaigns using radio, television, and print to bring
9804-448: The loan application, and loss of time when dealing with the MFI (" opportunity costs "). Hence, from a customer's point of view the cost of a loan is not only the interest and fees she/he has to pay, but also all other transaction costs that she/he has to cover. One of the principal challenges of microfinance is providing small loans at an affordable cost. The global average interest and fee rate
9918-510: The lump sum. At the end of the 15 days a new cycle would start. This ROSCA initiative is different from the "saving up" example above because there are no interest rates affiliated with the ROSCA, additionally everyone receives back what they put forth. This initiative requires trust and social capital networks in order to work, so often these ROSCAs include people who know each other and have reciprocity. The ROSCA allows for marginalized groups to receive
10032-497: The mentality "If I can't have you, no one shall." In Bangladesh , throwing acid has been labeled as a "gender crime", as there is a dominance of female victims who are assaulted by males in the country, for the reason of refusing to marry, or refusing sexual advances. In Jamaica, women throwing acid on other women in relation to fights over male partners is a common cause. In the UK, the majority of victims are men, and many of these attacks are related to gang violence . In India,
10146-549: The microfinance industry has shifted its focus from the objective of increasing the volume of lending capital available, to address the challenge of providing microfinance loans more affordably. Microfinance analyst David Roodman contends that, in mature markets, the average interest and fee rates charged by microfinance institutions tend to fall over time. However, global average interest rates for microfinance loans are still well above 30%. The answer to providing microfinance services at an affordable cost may lie in rethinking one of
10260-487: The middle of the 1800s, when the theorist Lysander Spooner was writing about the benefits of small credits to entrepreneurs and farmers as a way of getting the people out of poverty. Independently of Spooner, Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen founded the first cooperative lending banks to support farmers in rural Germany . The modern use of the expression "microfinancing" has roots in the 1970s when Grameen Bank of Bangladesh , founded by microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus ,
10374-602: The money. It was reported in February 2013 that she spent one year in a mental health facility and had written a book, Facing the Truth . In 2017, a 17-year-old girl was permanently scarred by an acid attack in Dallas . In November 2019, a man in Milwaukee was attacked and sustained multiple burns. The attacker, Clifton Blackwell, was motivated by racism and anti-immigrant sentiments and
10488-458: The new law would act as a deterrent against future attacks. Victor Riesel was a broadcast journalist, specializing in labor issues, who was attacked while leaving Lindy's restaurant in midtown Manhattan in the early morning of 5 April 1956. Riesel was left blind as a result. The attack was motivated by Riesel's reporting on the influence of organized crime on certain corrupt labor unions . In 1959, American attorney Burt Pugach hired
10602-438: The person's identity. Additionally, they are unable to design new products and enlarge their business to reduce the risk. The result is that the traditional approach to microfinance has made only limited progress in resolving the problem it purports to address: that the world's poorest people pay the world's highest cost for small business growth capital. The high costs of traditional microfinance loans limit their effectiveness as
10716-519: The primary focus of service delivery. Evidence shows that they are less likely to default on their loans than men. Industry data from 2006 for 704 MFIs reaching 52 million borrowers includes MFIs using the solidarity lending methodology (99.3% female clients) and MFIs using individual lending (51% female clients). The delinquency rate for solidarity lending was 0.9% after 30 days (individual lending—3.1%), while 0.3% of loans were written off (individual lending—0.9%). Because operating margins become tighter
10830-503: The proper procedure for dealing with acid attacks. ASF's community meetings involve survivors' families, community leaders, and representatives of the local government with the purpose of making them aware of the consequences of acid violence as well as the psycho-social struggles of survivors. Plans to accelerate community acceptance of survivors, ensure social protection, and promote favourable environments for healing are also discussed. ASF has taken great measures to raise awareness as to
10944-443: The psychological health of survivors and their families. This can result in the development of psychiatric conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal tendencies , needing specialized psychiatric care. However, DMCH is currently the only hospital in Bangladesh with a clinical psychology department. Consequently, ASF provides bed-side and community psychological support to help victims and their families overcome
11058-402: The ratio is closer to 1:1. Reasons behind these attacks usually stemmed from poor interpersonal relationships and domestic intolerance toward women. Moreover, female victims usually came from low socioeconomic classes and had low education. The authors state that the prevalence of acid attacks in other areas of South America remains unknown due to significant underreporting. On 27 March 2014,
11172-566: The situation, ASF, with the help of the British High Commission and British Women's Association started a 20-bed Burn Rehabilitation Center in November 1999, which has become known as informally as Thikana (meaning destination in Bengali ). The permanently damaging nature of acid attacks and the inefficiency of the Bangladesh justice system are a serious and sometimes permanent detriment to
11286-467: The slum dwellers are willing to accept this risk because they are unable to save at home, and unable to use the remote and unfriendly banks in their country. This microfinance project also has many benefits, such as empowering women and giving parents the ability to save money for their children's education. This specific microfinance project is an example of the benefits and limitations of the "saving up" project. The microfinance project of "saving through"
11400-504: The smaller the loans delivered, many MFIs consider the risk of lending to men to be too high. This focus on women is questioned sometimes, however a recent study of microentrepreneurs from Sri Lanka published by the World Bank found that the return on capital for male-owned businesses (half of the sample) averaged 11%, whereas the return for women-owned businesses was 0% or slightly negative. Microfinance's emphasis on female-oriented lending
11514-559: The social sphere. In addition to medical and psychological effects, many social implications exist for acid survivors, especially women. For example, such attacks usually leave victims disabled in some way, rendering them dependent on either their spouse or family for everyday activities, such as eating and running errands. These dependencies are increased by the fact that many acid survivors are not able to find suitable work, due to impaired vision and physical disability . This negatively impacts their economic viability, causing hardships on
11628-505: The three nations with the most noted incidence of acid attacks – Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia – were ranked 75th, 101st, and 104th, respectively, out of 136 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index, a scale that measures equality in opportunities between men and women in nations. Research has prompted many solutions to the increasing incidence of acid attacks in the world. Bangladesh, whose rates of attack have been decreasing,
11742-759: The trauma of the attack. ASF currently has one clinical psychologist and two peer counselors at its hospital to provide counselling and psycho-therapeutic services. ASF also organises music and art therapy in its hospital to help patients express their emotions. Pain Sadness/Grief Anger/Rage Grief Depression/Rapid Emotional Shifting PTSD Anxiety Depression Attacks will temporarily removes one's capacity for work or study. This capacity can be rebuilt following treatment through rehabilitation and reintegration techniques. ASF statistics have shown that 46% of perpetrators are someone close to
11856-406: The underlying bone. Eyelids and lips may be completely destroyed and the nose and ears severely damaged. Though not exhaustive, Acid Survivors Foundation Uganda findings included: In addition to these above-mentioned medical effects, acid attack victims face the possibility of sepsis , kidney failure , skin depigmentation , and even death. A 2015 attack that involved throwing sulfuric acid on
11970-461: The value is accumulated before it is needed, this money management strategy is referred to as "saving up". Often, people don't have enough money when they face a need, so they borrow. A poor family might borrow from relatives to buy land, from a moneylender to buy rice, or from a microfinance institution to buy a sewing machine. Since these loans must be repaid by saving after the cost is incurred, Rutherford calls this 'saving down'. Rutherford's point
12084-527: The victim. About 26% are husbands and 20% are other family members. Therefore, many victims of acid violence are unable to return to their families; however, some are compelled to regardless due to a lack of an income source. The Department of Social Welfare and both National and District Acid Control Councils have funds that provide interest free loans to survivors. ASF is continuously working with its partners and survivors to ensure that these funds are effectively used for benefit of acid survivors. Microfinancing
12198-528: The world such as South America , Central and North Africa , the Middle East , and Central Asia . However, South Asian countries maintain the highest incidence of acid attacks. Police in the United Kingdom have noted that many victims are afraid to come forward to report attacks, meaning the true scale of the problem may be unknown. An accurate estimate of the gender ratio of victims and perpetrators
12312-613: The world to have specific laws against acid attacks. ASF provides legal support for survivors by referring them to its legal partners including BRAC, Aino Salish Kendro (ASK), the Bangladesh National Women Lawyer's Association (BNWLA), and the Bangladesh Legal Aid Services and Trust (BLAST). ASF's case managers prepare case reports of each survivor as they are admitted in the ASF Hospital and then provide legal advice to both survivors and their family. While
12426-545: Was attacked in 1998. Since then reported cases have been increasing with time. The study also cited the Colombian Forensics Institute, which reported that 56 women complained of aggression by acid in 2010, 46 in 2011, and 16 during the first trimester of 2012. The average age of survivors was about 23 years old, but ranged from 13 to 41 years. The study reported a male-to-female victim ratio of 1:30 for acid assault in Bogota, Colombia, although recent reports show
12540-474: Was not available in the Nigeria study, but they reported that 71% of acid assaults resulted from an argument with either a jilted lover, family member, or business partner. As with the other nations, researchers believe these statistics to be under-representative of the actual scope and magnitude of acid attacks in African nations. In August 2013, two Jewish women volunteer teachers – Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup from
12654-957: Was ranked the number one NGO in the world in 2015 and 2016 by the Geneva-based NGO Advisor. Microfinance provides women around the world with financial and non-financial services, especially in the most rural areas that do not have access to traditional banking and other basic financial infrastructure. It creates opportunities for women to start-up and build their businesses using their own skills and talents. Utilizing savings, credit, and microinsurance, Microfinance helps families create income-generating activities and better cope with risk. Women particularly benefit from microfinance as many microfinance institutions (MFIs) target female clients. Most microfinance institutions (MFIs) partner with other organizations like Water.org and Habitat for Humanity to provide additional services for their clients. Microfinance generally agree that women should be
12768-804: Was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2022. Microfinance Microfinance consists of financial services targeting individuals and small businesses (SME's) who lack access to conventional banking and related services. Microfinance includes microcredit , the provision of small loans to poor clients; savings and checking accounts ; microinsurance ; and payment systems , among other services. Microfinance product and services in MFI include. 1.savings 2. Micro credit 3. Micro insurance 4. Micro leasing and 5. Fund transfer/ remittance. Microfinance services are designed to reach excluded customers, usually low income population segments, possibly socially marginalized, or geographically more isolated, and to help them become self-sufficient. ID Ghana
12882-600: Was starting and shaping the modern industry of microfinancing. The approach of microfinance was institutionalized by Yunus in 1976, with the foundation of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Another pioneer in this sector is Pakistani social scientist Akhtar Hameed Khan . Since people in the developing world still largely depend on subsistence farming or basic food trade for their livelihood, significant resources have gone into supporting smallholder agriculture in developing countries. In developing economies , and particularly in rural areas, many activities that would be classified in
12996-522: Was the victim of an acid attack. Esperanza Medina walked out of her Logan Square apartment in Chicago , Illinois, on a July morning in 2008, heading to her job as a social worker. Three teenagers poured cups of battery acid on the head of Medina, a 48-year-old mother of four. On 30 August 2010, Bethany Storro, 28, of Vancouver, Washington , made national headlines after she claimed a stranger, whom she described as an African American woman, approached her on
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