Cuomo Blog: Brave Pakistani Woman Fights for Women's Rights

Sept. 10, 2007 — -- When I was here five years ago, it was estimated a woman was raped in Pakistan every two hours. Unfortunately, the violence against women has not abated despite recent government efforts to reform its rape laws.

In the past three days since I arrived in Islamabad, two horrific cases have been reported in the press. The first was the beheading of two women in the Frontier Region of Bannu for alleged immoral activity, and the second was a brutal gang rape of a young nurse at a hospital in Karachi.

Men in this country often take the law into their own hands; tribal leaders can impose harsh penalties on women, including rape and even death.

In most of the villages and even in the big cities, women in Pakistan conceal themselves — a tradition said to be born of respect. Yet, more and more, women here are victimized by men who show a complete lack of respect and humanity. Asma Jahangir, chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, grimly explains that "rape is used as an instrument of revenge, and the perpetrators go unpunished."

Mukhtar Mai, whom I first met in 2002, was a victim of such punishment. She was penalized for a crime her brother committed — he allegedly had an affair with a woman from a rival clan. The tribal council ordered her raped. Her family was helpless to intervene as she was brutally gang raped and then publicly paraded naked.

At that time, social stigma, legislation that punishes victims, economic dependency and a lack of access to information about their rights prevented women and girls from reporting domestic violence and rape. In fact, nearly 50 percent of women who did report rape were jailed under the Hudood Ordinances, which criminalized extramarital sexual relations, including rape.

To rid themselves of their shame and the shame they "have brought on their family," women usually commit suicide.

But not Mukhtar Mai. Instead of suffering in silence or taking her own life, she took a public stance, speaking out against her attackers. What followed was unprecedented. With the help of a local imam, Mukhtar's tale reached the local press and caught fire with media across the world.

The Pakistani government, embarrassed by the attention, reacted and arrested the men allegedly involved and prosecuted them. Mukhtar traveled the world as an international crusader for women's rights and was honored for her bravery. I interviewed her again, but this time in New York, when she was named Glamour Magazine's woman of the year.

But her real reward did not come from the numerous honors she received, but rather from creating change at home. Mukhtar took a government grant and returned to her village to start a school and build a women's crisis center. With the help of donations, there are now four schools that reach 1,000 children — all part of the Mukhtar Mai Women Welfare Organization.

It is now five years later, and we met in Islamabad on Friday. This time Mukhtar's face is uncovered. We walked and talked as the sun was setting — neither were possible when we first met.

I asked her whether she could have imagined that all this would have happened from her decision to speak up.

She replied, "I got the power to live my life. It was a very tough decision, but I am happy because a lot of women have spoken out and are standing up for themselves. It wasn't an easy decision, but it has done a lot of good."

How much time will it take for things to get better for women in Pakistan? She says people who do not give women their rights are very powerful, so unless you "stop the system, the cruelty against women will not stop."

Mukhtar has overcome so much, but as she says there is still so much to be done.