The runways at Fashion Week in Pakistan have always been about more than just the clothes: they are about women’s empowerment in the country.

And this year, the woman bringing that message of empowerment was the courageous Mukhtaran Mai, the survivor of a brutal gang rape 14 years ago who has devoted her life to advocating for women’s rights in Pakistan, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mai, now 44, was gang raped and paraded around in public naked as a form of punishment in 2002 for a crime allegedly committed by her brother, according to the report.

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Mai fought back from the attack, taking her attackers to court in a case that reached the Supreme Court. Fourteen men were tried, six of whom were sentenced to death, though they were all eventually released.

"If one step I take, if that helps even one woman, I would be very happy to do that," Mai told the paper after participating in Fashion Week. She worked a light green top and silver silk pants and a headscarf and walked with the country’s top models.

Mai now works as an advocate for women’s rights.

"I want to be the voice of those women who face circumstances similar to what I did," Mai said. "My message for my sisters is that we aren't weak. We have a heart and a brain, we also think. I ask my sisters to not lose hope in the face of injustice, as we will get justice one day for sure," she said.

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Fashion Pakistan Week was conceived three years ago as a way to rebel against religious fundamentalists in the country who try to enforce strict dress codes, according to the Herald. This year, Pakistani designer Rozina Munib decided to feature Mai in her “Colors of Life” show, dedicated to the “ups and downs Mai has gone through in her life,” according the Times of India.

A short film highlighting Mai’s work women was also shown.

"Fashion needs to care. It's become a booming industry and thereby, has an ethical responsibility to place focus on significant causes," Munib said.