| Mukhtar Mai is a shy Pakistani woman with such | | | | Ms. Mukhtar, with the support of her father and |
| extraordinary courage that she was named Glamour's | | | | family, her Imam, and some journalists, decided to |
| Woman of the Year, one of Asia's Heros by Time, | | | | press charges. In a society where the vast majority |
| and last week was honored by the United Nations. | | | | of rapes go unpunished, Mai took the unusual course |
| Most importantly, her unprecedented action after | | | | of fighting her case all the way to the nation's |
| being raped by a gang of men in her village to settle | | | | highest court and, in a decision that rocked Pakistan, |
| a score against her brother, has led to the | | | | the perpetrators were found guilty.After receiving an |
| transformation of the culture of justice and education | | | | award from the Pakistani Government of 500,000 |
| for her entire village.In 2002, a tribal council in rural | | | | rupees, Ms. Mukhtar, instead of fleeing, returned to |
| Meerwala ordered the rape of Mai as a solution to | | | | the village in which she had experienced such pain to |
| "restoring the family's honor" after her brother was | | | | establish a school that now educates 300 girls and |
| accused of being with a girl from a rival tribe. Instead | | | | 200 boys, along with a crisis center that advises |
| of being cowed by traditional strictures under which | | | | women and girls threatened by childhood marriage |
| she was expected to commit suicide out of shame, | | | | and other practices. |