Muskan Khatun ( Nepali: मुस्कान खातुन; born 11 May 2004) is a

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

ese human rights activist. She was a survivor of an acid attack at the age of 15 after she refused the boy’s romantic advances. She was campaigned for legislation and was instrumental in getting laws passed for tough action against perpetrators in Nepal. She won an

International Women of Courage Award The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have ...

in 2021.

Life

She was born in 2004. When she was fifteen she rebuffed the advances of a boy who was a year older than her. He was a relative of hers and he had been warned off by Khatun's father at her request. The spurned admirer was angry and he asked his friend to demand to know why she was not speaking to him. The friend was instructed to wait for a reply and if none was given then she should have acid thrown at her. The incident happened when both boys were present and Khatun merely replied that she was late for school. The acid was thrown and it landed on her face, hands and body. Her friends arranged for her to be taken to hospital. One boy was arrested and the other ran away. She had a painful recovery, but she used her position to lobby for change. She campaigned for legislation and was instrumental in getting laws passed for tough action against perpetrators. She met Nepal's Prime Minister

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and he agreed to strengthen the laws concerning acid attacks and to restrict the sale of chemicals. The new laws were created but some doubt was expressed about their effectiveness. She won an

in 2021. She was nominated by the US ambassador David M. Satterfield and the awards were made by the

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Dr.

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and the US Secretary of State

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International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

Awards

* International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khatun, Muskan Nepalese women activists Living people Acid attack victims Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award 2004 births