KARACHI:
Harassment is about power. This reality defines the struggle of countless working women in Pakistan. Harassment is not simply misconduct; it is a systemic tool of patriarchy. Women who assert independence or reject undue demands are often punished through mockery, exclusion and character assassination — strategies aimed at silencing them.
Pakistan introduced the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act (2010), but a law without cultural change is like a lock without a key. As feminist theory explains, patriarchy survives by controlling women’s spaces and voices. In practice, harassment is less about desire and more about maintaining male dominance in professional hierarchies.
The 2018 BISP harassment case revealed how fragile our mechanisms remain. Female staff who accused senior officials of exploitation faced retaliation instead of protection. This shows harassment is not accidental; it is institutionalised and reinforced by silence.
If we continue to treat harassment as an individual “moral failing”, nothing will change. What is needed is zero tolerance enforcement, independent inquiry committees, gender-sensitivity training and a cultural shift that rejects patriarchal attitudes.
A safe workplace is not a privilege for women; it is the foundation of dignity, fairness and national progress. Without it, workplaces will remain spaces of fear rather than productivity.
Shafaq Altaf Kazmi
Karachi
