On June 22, 2002, Mukhtar Mai a resident of Muzaffargarh district in Pakistan, was brutally raped by four men, dragged onto the street and paraded naked in the streets of her village. Shocking, isn’t it? Like any other woman she did break down, but fourteen years later she fearlessly walked the ramp at the Fashion Pakistan Week-2016. Rozina Munib designed Mukhtar Mai’s outfit where she was seen wearing a light green ensemble. Mai wanted to reach out to people and spread awareness and the importance of education in society. She hopes that the event would remove the boundaries and the gender based violence that a woman has to face every day.
“I want to be the voice of those women who face circumstances similar to what I did. My message for my sisters is that we aren’t weak. We have a heart and a brain, we also think. I ask my sisters to not lose hope in the face of injustice, as we will get justice one day for sure.” said Mai to the Associated Press.
After the gang rape and the humiliation Mai had faced, she did not lose hope but, fought for her rights by challenging her rapists and tribal council members in Pakistan’s Supreme Court. Because of her relentless efforts and the will to fight for justice, fourteen men were put to trial and six were handed the death sentence. But all of them had been relieved and let out on bail.
Mai set up a school in her village with the money she was awarded, by the government, as compensation. Her aim was to address gender inequality and discrimination that girls and women had to face. Mai became known for the case she had filed which bought more funds to her to set up two schools. Mukhtar established The Mukhtar Mai Women’s Shelter Home in Meerwala for refugees and provided shelter to homeless women who were survivors of gender based violence.
Mai walked the ramp and told the Express Tribune, “All that I do, I do it for my children (at the shelter) and women. This is for them. I can’t do this alone hence I found an anchor in the media to help spread my message.”
