[Al Arabiya Latest] Pakistani gang-rape victim Mukhtar Mai, who rose to tragic fame in the West as the cause celebre of oppressed women, is all smiles since marrying a police constable and defying yet another stigma.Best of luck to the happy couple.
Seven years after her ordeal, she may still be a pariah among illiterate and older women, but her transformation from victim to queen of her own destiny is complete since becoming the second wife of Nasir Abbas Gabol.
Head over heels
Marriage gives you a sense of responsibility. It is a sacred relationship. You also get a sense of security and protection and a woman gets the status of mother," the 39-year-old police officer said. "He says he fell head over heels for me," she gushed of her new husband.
Mai runs three schools -- two for girls and one for boys -- where around 1,000 children from poor families get an education. She heads a staff of 38, half of them teachers, the rest working in her office and welfare centers. They shelter female victims of violence who trek far and wide to seek refuge with Mai, organize seminars to boost awareness of rights, dispense legal aid and operate a mobile unit that reaches out to women in their communities.
Human rights groups say Pakistani women suffer severe discrimination, endure domestic violence, fall victim to "honor" killings, and that growing Islamist fundamentalism leaves them increasingly isolated.