Mukhtar Mai is a Pakistani women’s rights advocate and author. In 2002, Mai was gang raped by a neighboring clan as a form of “honor revenge.” Although custom dictates that victims of such an atrocity should commit suicide, Mai fought back by taking her assailants to court. She also founded the ;Mukhtar Mai Women’s Welfare Organization, an organization that works to stop rape, educate young girls, and raise awareness about women’s rights in local communities. The organization also provides shelter and aid for victims of violence.
In 2011, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted five of the six men convicted of gang-raping Mai. Mai continues her work under threat of violence to her, her family, and her colleagues. Her memoir, “In the Name of Honor,” has been published in 23 languages. Mai was named Glamour’s “Woman of the Year” in 2005, and received the Council of Europe’s North-South Prize in 2007. Mai was featured in Terrence McKenna’s documentary about sexual violence in Pakistan, “Land, Gold and Women.”
