The local clan council in Merwala – “the Punchat”, was of the opinion that Ms. Mukhtar Mais family was to blame for a conflict between hers and a far wealthier clan. The matter was considered a question of honor, and the punishment was the violation of Mukhtar.
In June 2002 four men raped her. More than a hundred people were present during the violation, among them her own father, who was prevented from interfering.
In Pakistan, hundreds of women are subjected to the same abuse as Ms. Mukhtar Mai every year. As Rosa Parks did in the US in the fifties, Mukhtar refused to accept her humiliation. In her struggle for justice she wages war, both in the judiciary and in public. Her target? The Pakistani authorities and old tribal traditions. She fights the battle of the underdog, like David vs Goliath, but with the support of international recognition she is likely to win.
Ms. Mukhtar Mai was an illiterate, quiet though strong–willed peasant woman. Her life at stake, she demands basic human rights for women in Pakistan. She has transformed from a victim to an agent. Her achievements are as amazing as her character.
This 52–minute exposé shows Ms. Mukhtar Mai’s struggle for justice.
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