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May 03, 2006
Mukhtaran Mai Speaks at Fletcher on Being an Instrument of Change in Pakistan
For Pakistani women to overcome the legal, political and economic constraints they face in society, reforms must come from within the country and its people, and not imposed by any external power, according to Pakistani activist Mukhtaran Mai.
Mai gained prominence for her courage in standing up against the perpetrators of a gang rape she suffered at the hands of a tribal jirga. She became a symbol of bravery and strength for Pakistani women as she pursued her case up to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, where the rapists were eventually convicted. The Pakistani government had initially restricted her travel, claiming that her case was drawing negative media attention and was being exploited by Western governments and media. The travel ban was later lifted, and Mai has taken the opportunity to speak out against the abuse of women and government's neglect in providing social services and education for women in Pakistan.
Mai spoke during the 2006 Pak-Millennium Conference, which had the theme “Celebrating Pakistani Women: Their Lives and Struggles” and was held at The Fletcher School on April 29. The event featured panelists from all over the world who spoke on the modern-day struggles and achievements of Pakistani women. The conversation between Mai and the audience, which was conducted in her native Urdu language and translated into English, was moderated by Fletcher Professor Adil Najam.
Mai has used the money that she received as court settlement to build the first girls’ school in her village of Meerwala, where children are taught their basic human rights in order to empower them to speak out against injustice. Subsequently, she also set up a school for boys and a crisis center for abused women, helped set up a new road and electricity for the village, and purchased an ambulance and a plot of land for a hospital.
“When girls are educated, they have a better idea of their own rights, of what they need to do,” Mai said. “The women and even the men in the villages don't know what their rights are. So we educate them to help them become aware of their rights.”
Mai said that she and some of the teachers approach families in order to convince them to send the girls to school instead of being made to work early on, which is the practice in most rural villages in Pakistan.
“We would go to each home and tell the families, if you have four girls, let two of them study with us and make the two others work for you,” she said.
According to Mai, she encountered a lot of difficulty, especially during the first year of operation of the schools, since there were only three teachers assisting her. “Now, we have 300 girls as our students and a number of teachers to help them,” she said.
Asked where she drew her tremendous strength and courage in dealing with her case in court and in working on several projects for her village, she replied, “First, from Allah; second, from my mother who supported me; and third, from the whole world who stood by me.”
She continued, suggesting that she became a stronger person after the violent incident. “In our village, we never had the right to speak, and I was not really strong,” she said. “But when the time came when I had to speak out and fight, I got strength from Allah.”
Mai said that in Pakistan, particularly in the rural areas, police stations are under the influence of feudal lords, and the court system lacks basic foundations and rules. However, since the establishment of the schools and Mai’s campaign for greater women’s rights, cases of women’s abuse have been drastically reduced, she said.
While Mai was able to overcome these challenges—having “received a lot of external support”—reforms must be implemented within the system, she said. Mai emphasized that for genuine reforms to take place, they should come from within Pakistan and cannot be imposed by any outside power.
“If we keep relying on the U.S., that is not the solution,” she said. “Why doesn’t Pakistan rely on itself in solving these issues? Changes should come from within Pakistan. President [Pervez] Musharraf knows what the problem is, and what support and changes are needed for Pakistan.”
Asked about her future goals and how long she plans to continue working on her projects for the women and children in her village, Mai replied, “We don't know how long we'll live. But as long as I'm alive, I will do whatever I can to work on education.”
In closing, she affirmed, “Yes, we have hope for the future.”
By Sharon R. Rivera, MALD '07
Posted by fletcher at May 3, 2006 12:06 PM
