Campaign against GBV begins

The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) inaugurated the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with the launch of Pakistan's first Multi-Channel Gender-Based Violence Complaint Management System (CMS-II), a Digital Safety Video Series and a national Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) Awareness Campaign, developed in partnership with PKCERT.

NCSW Chairperson Ume Laila Azhar while speaking at the launch, stated that the 16-day campaign is a powerful reminder that dignity, safety and justice are fundamental rights for every woman and girl in Pakistan.

She noted that harassment, blackmail, misuse of images, fake identities, deepfakes and organised misinformation are rapidly growing digital threats that directly target women and girls.

"Across the world, nearly 1.8 billion women still lack legal protection from digital violence. These numbers leave no room for delay," she said.

Minister of State for Law & Justice, Barrister Aqeel said digital crimes are evolving at unprecedented speed and have become significantly more complex with the misuse of artificial intelligence. He highlighted that NCSW's CMS-II will improve reporting, confidentiality and accountability, and will support justice delivery across provinces.

Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights, Saba Sadiq emphasised that the government is committed to strengthening legislation, monitoring and institutional response mechanisms to combat digital violence. She noted that the partnership between NCSW and PKCERT is a critical step in addressing TFGBV across the country.

Secretary Humaira Zia Mufti explained that the CMS-II features multi-channel reporting — via mobile app, web portal, walk-in centres and an upcoming helpline.