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DERA GHAZI KHAN, Oct 20: Meerwala gang-rape victim Mukhtaran Mai has been invited by a New York-based magazine to receive “Glamour Women of the Year Awards” in a ceremony on Nov 2, Dawn learnt on Thursday.
In a letter to Mai, Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive explained that the magazine honoured the women who had struggled for the cause of women.
Mai has been invited to visit the US from Oct 22 to Nov 5. The award-giving ceremony will be held at Lincoln Centre in the New York City.
Mukhtar Mai can attend the ceremony if the government grants her permission.
The following is the text of the letter:
“For 15 years, Glamour magazine has saluted inspiring, high-achieving women with our annual Glamour Women of the Year Awards, a special issue and event devoted to celebrating the gutsy, talented leaders who motivate young women. Past winners include Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Diane Sawyer, Madeleine Albright and many more.
“We are honoured and thrilled to add your name to this distinguished list. Your courageous stand against the persecution of women is an inspiration to Glamour’s 12 million readers. Our hope is that this award and the attention it garners will help broadcast your message of bravery, education, and equal rights for women.
“Glamour’s Women of the Year will be celebrated in the pages of our December, 2005, issue and at an award ceremony at Lincoln Centre in New York City on Wednesday, Nov 2 — an event that generates an enormous amount of publicity and good feeling. We would like you to arrive in the US on Oct 22 and stay until Nov 5. We will provide accommodation. Each Woman of the Year will be interviewed for the magazine; we also ask that each winner accept her award in person at the gala. We appreciate that you have special travel needs and will do everything we can to help you make the journey.
“I’m also very pleased to let you know that Glamour will make a donation of $20,000 to help you start a women’s centre for your town, and we are also asking our readers to contribute to a fund in your name.”
