CHENNAI: Standing with two of her colleagues along with prominent legal and medical votaries at the Policy Roundtable on ‘Building a Holistic Support System for Women Survivors of Burn Violence’, Ambika couldn’t help but beam from ear to ear. Though shy to pose for the camera, she willingly opened up to tell us her story as a burn survivor.
Ambika falls into the category of women whose burns are self-inflicted; often to stop their husbands from consuming liquor and treating them violently, many women attempt self-immolation — only, they don’t realise the impact of their actions.
“Women from poor families often do not understand that the moment they pour something like kerosene and strike a match it can consume them entirely,” explains Prasanna Gettu, CEO, PCVC. “They often erroneously believe that pouring water on themselves before dousing kerosene will reduce the effect of the blaze.”
Three years ago, Ambika was driven to take a drastic step as a result of this predicament. “I had a love marriage and unfortunately, within a few years, my husband became abusive and was drinking heavily,” shares Ambika, who only studied till Class 8.
“His relentless abusive behaviour pushed me to set fire to myself, but it was a spur of the moment decision.” Though her burns scarred a part of her face and neck, her rehabilitation through PCVC helped her put her life back on track, and she now views the incident as an experience that changed her for the better.
“The counselling at PCVC helped me put my life back together. Sessions like art therapy and psychological counselling helped me realise that I can make my life better,” says Ambika. “Now, I serve as a welfare officer for PCVC at the very hospital that I was admitted. People treat me with respect and I feel like I have an opportunity to live a decent life.”
She lives with her two daughters at her mother’s home, while her husband lives elsewhere. “Compared to what I would have been in — an abusive marriage that I could not escape from — my life has changed drastically. I feel empowered since I am being treated as an equal at places where I work,” she smiles.