Pakistani women’s rights advocate Mukhtar Mai tells the horrifying story of how she became the victim of honor punishment in 2002, when a neighboring clan gang raped her. Mai explains why she raised her voice—so that other women would not be forced to live in fear and suffer similar barbaric acts. She notes that, while Pakistani women have long been silent about rights abuses, they now have begun to speak out. It is always the first step that causes the most trouble, she reminds us, but it is through education and resistance that real progress is ensured.
