Bangladeshi activist makes it to ‘BBC 100 Women 2023’
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surgeries, she survived.
But she soon realised, as a female burn survivor, the world would become a difficult place for her.
Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, she said, “I was still in a life-threatening situation when a distant relative came to the hospital, saw me, and said to my family, ‘What’s the point of keeping her alive? You might as well poison her.’ This is the reality that female burn survivors have to face.”
After making a rare recovery, Ivy started piecing her life back together.
She completed her graduation from Eden College after registering for a private degree as she struggled to attend classes. A master’s degree came soon after, followed by a job at Action on Disability and Development (ADD).
This is where her journey began as a rights activist, and it is also where she found her calling.
Her organisation assisted her in getting a master’s degree in Development Studies from Brac University. Ivy continued her education even further -- first getting an LLB degree in 2010, and then a diploma in Social Compliance from Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) in 2012.
“I wanted to study law not because I wanted to become a practising lawyer but to understand the legal framework of disability rights. I studied in BIM to get an understanding of the representation of persons with disabilities in the labour market.”
In 2014, she founded her own non-profit organisation -- Voice & Views -- “to raise the voices of women with disabilities caused by burns in the disability movement”.
Since then, Voice & Views has strived to promote the dignity, inclusion, and empowerment of women with disabilities in Bangladesh.
Her inclusion in BBC’s list of 100 inspirational and influential women in 2023, however, not only came as recognition of her activism but also her filmmaking.
“Initially, I just wanted to understand films. I took some filmmaking courses and realised that in films, persons with disabilities are portrayed as inferior. Personally, I accept my disability. My life had changed in a moment, and since then, it’s been a struggle. Through my films, I tried to talk about our rights and how we are portrayed.”
Her first film, “Nirobe” was produced in 2012, and she has since been regarded by some as the first Bangladeshi with a disability to become a filmmaker.
About being included in BBC’s 100 Women 2023, she said, “I’m so happy, I’m almost in tears. I’ve been in the disability rights sector for many years now, and have seen burn survivors being neglected. I’ve gone through an identity crisis about my own disability. I’ve seen burn survivors face discrimination, especially the females who have to face questions that male survivors don’t.
“My goal has been to share the stories of women with disabilities, especially burn survivors. I initially didn’t have the platforms to tell these stories, so I learned filmmaking. Being able to represent women with disabilities in our country makes me happy.
“Burn survivors are discriminated against; they are blamed. People look at female burn survivors and wonder if they might be acid attack victims. And if they are acid attack victims, they are doubly victimised. [Through the BBC’s recognition] I hope to create proper representation so people can get a positive message regarding such survivors.”