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Sheroes Hangout

Sheroes Hangout is an Indian nonprofit café run and managed by women survivors of acid attacks. It is widely recognised as a social enterprise that provides employment, rehabilitation and a public platform to survivors, while also functioning as a regular tourist café in northern India.

Overview

The café operates on a "pay as you wish" model, where patrons decide what to pay for the food and beverages they consume, with the proceeds supporting the survivors who run the establishment. Beyond serving meals, Sheroes Hangout doubles as a community space, hosting workshops, exhibitions, book readings and awareness campaigns related to gender violence, women's rights and the legal regulation of acid sales in India.

Key facts

Type Nonprofit café and social enterprise
Country India
Run by Survivors of acid attacks
Associated campaign Stop Acid Attacks (SAA)
Parent initiative Chhanv Foundation
Pricing model Pay as you wish

Background

Sheroes Hangout grew out of the Stop Acid Attacks campaign, a civil society initiative in India that drew public attention to acid violence against women and pushed for stricter regulation of the over-the-counter sale of acid. The campaign was supported by the Chhanv Foundation, an organisation working on the rehabilitation of acid attack survivors. The café was conceived as a livelihood project to give survivors stable work and a dignified public role, countering the social stigma and isolation that often follow such attacks.

The name Sheroes is a portmanteau of "she" and "heroes", reflecting the project's framing of survivors as protagonists rather than victims. Funds for setting up the café were raised through crowdfunding, and the venue was designed as an open, welcoming space displaying artwork, writings and photographs by and about the survivors.

Locations

The first Sheroes Hangout opened in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, near the tourist circuit around the Taj Mahal, which gave the café international visibility among visitors. A second outlet was subsequently opened in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, expanding the model to another major city.

Activities

  • Employment and on-the-job training of acid attack survivors as café staff and managers.
  • Hosting events on women's rights, gender-based violence and survivor advocacy.
  • Sale of handicrafts, apparel and merchandise made or curated by survivors.
  • Use of the premises as an informal support and counselling space for new survivors joining the network.

Significance

Sheroes Hangout has been cited in Indian and international media as an example of survivor-led social entrepreneurship. By placing survivors in customer-facing roles in a public café, the project challenges conventional responses to facial disfigurement and reframes the conversation around acid violence in India. It is often discussed alongside legal developments such as the Supreme Court of India's directions to regulate retail sale of acids and to ensure compensation and medical treatment for survivors.

References