Kristoff, Nicholas D., & WuDunn, Sheryl. (2009). Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunities for Women Worldwide. New York: Random House.

Half the Sky is the reason why I changed my topic to rape laws in Pakistan. The book is a compilation of real-life stories about sex trafficking, sexual violence, maternal mortality, girls’ education etc. Each story narrated harsh conditions women face around the world, but it was inspirational to learn about individuals who rose up against all odds. The story that is most relevant to my research project was of Mukhtar Mai’s. She is a Pakistani from a village in southern Punjab, where she was gang-raped by four men because her younger brother was falsely accused of illicit sex. She reported her perpetrators to the police and, surprisingly, they were arrested. Then president of Pakistan, Musharraf, awarded her $8,300, which Mukhtar used for building her own school. When money started to channel in for her school ($430,000) through contributions from Times readers, Musharraf became uneasy about the “embarrassment” she was garnering for Pakistan from the international community. He put her on the “exit control list,” preventing her from leaving the country, kidnapped her, seized her passport, and stationed intelligence agents to spy on her. All this was done to prevent the outside world from knowing the circumstances women like Mukhtar face. Mukhtar opened her aid group, called the Mukhtar Mai Women’s Welfare Organization, which offers a 24/7 hotline, free clinic, public library, and a shelter.

I will be reading her book In the Name of Honor: A Memoir to understand how she was able to dispel the stigma of rape in her little village, Meerwala. I am interested in understanding the factors that were able to make her case heard and receive a fair decision. She won her case when the Hudood laws were in effect. What was different about her case that led to a Kuhnian “paradigm shift”?

Watch this short video to learn more about Mukhtar’s story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlhKyPOuRvA