Here’s Why Reshma Qureshi Walking the Ramp at NYFW is a Big Deal

Her walk at NY Fashion Week has brought the conversation around acid attack victims to the mainstream.

Indian model Reshma Quereshi, 19, sits during an interview in Manhattan, New York, US, 7 September 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

As rare as it may be – through a platform that has year after year promoted little else than beauty and cutting edge fashion – a strong social message has been disseminated.

Reshma Qureshi, 19, who walked the ramp for designer Archana Kochhar at New York Fashion Week, turned the attention of the world not just to herself but to the plight of thousands of other women who have suffered similar acid attacks.

This walk was important to me because there are so many girls like me who have braved acid attacks, and this will give them courage.

Reshma Qureshi, 19

India has the highest number of recorded attacks, according to Reuters, but this evil happens even in countries from Afghanistan and Iran to Nigeria and Colombia.

Reshma’s story is a call to action for all of us to do something to stop the rampant sale of acid, and also, to make sure all help to the attacked is not merely tokenism, but real, empowering change.