'I say I am beautiful, so I am'

When her parents couldn’t fulfil a demand for more dowry in December 2000, Sneha Jawale’s husband set her on fire with kerosene. Later he left, taking their son with him.

But she became determined to rebuild her life. She was asked to star in a theatre play, Nirbhaya, named after the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim and based on the experiences of survivors of violence. Performing to audiences around the world helped her overcome her fears.

Sneha Jawale is on the BBC 100 Women list this year - you can read the full list here.

Produced by Kashif Siddiqui and Divya Arya

BBC 100 Women names 100 inspiring and influential women around the world each year. Now in its tenth year, it was started in response to the 2012 Delhi gang rape, to improve coverage of women's stories in the media.

Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation using #BBC100Women

6 December 2022