DISHONORED
She was sentenced to be raped; now she is risking her life to end a horrifying tradition. This is a story about the making of an icon.
The local clan council in Merwala – “the Punchat”, was of the opinion that Mukhtar Mai´s family was to blame for a conflict. The matter was considered a question of honour, and the punishment was the violation of Mukhtar.
In June 2002 four men raped her. More than a hundred people were present during the violation, among them her own father, who was prevented from interfering.
In Pakistan, hundreds of women are subjected to the same abuse as Mukhtar Mai every year. As Rosa Parks did in the US in the fifties, Mukhtar refused to accept her humiliation.
In her struggle for justice she wages war, both in the judiciary and in public. Her target? The Pakistani authorities and old tribal traditions. She fights the battle of the underdog, like David vs. Goliath, but with the support of international recognition she is likely to win.
Mukhtar Mai is an illiterate, quiet though strong-willed peasant woman. Her life at stake, she demands basic human rights for women in Pakistan. She has transformed from a victim to an agent. Her achievements are as amazing as her character.
“I had only three choices. I could commit suicide by jumping down a well. I could spend my life crying, like victims of similar atrocities – or I could challenge the conventions of my society.” Mukhtar Mai
- Release year:
- 2008
- Director:
- Gard A. Andreassen
- Producer:
- Styrk Jansen
- Running length:
- 52 minutes
- Production company:
- BasicTV
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