From laws to lived reality - ending violence against women
The laws have never been stronger. Yet for too many women in Pakistan, safety remains out of reach. This gap between legal progress and lived reality sits at the heart of the country's struggle to end violence against women.
Over the past decade, there has been a growing national recognition of the problem. What was once dismissed as a "private matter" has moved into the open, entering courtrooms, legislative debates and public conversation. More services now exist to support women - from women-led police stations, to hotlines, shelters and special courts - focusing on gender-based violence (GBV). But even as these systems expand, the distance between the protections promised on paper and the protection women experience every day remains wide.
The risk of violence still permeates the choices women make. It shapes their decisions to stay in school, to take a job, to travel alone, to speak out, or to stay silent. For many women, safety is not a given. It is something that has to be negotiated. When safety is a daily concern, a woman's ability to participate fully - economically, socially and politically - is constrained.
The figures highlight the enormity of the challenge. According to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, nearly one in every three women has experienced some form of physical violence during her lifetime, mostly at the hands of an intimate partner. Emotional abuse is even more widespread. In 2024, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan documented over 400 so-called "honour killing" cases. These are only the reported ones.
Child marriage is still an issue. Around 18 per cent of women aged 20-24 are married before the age of 18, a practice particularly prevalent in rural areas. Early marriages can lead to school dropouts, negative health outcomes, economic dependency and increased risk of physical and emotional abuse. These outcomes accumulate over time, perpetuating poverty and constraining social mobility, not only for girls but for entire communities.
Violence also affects women's ability to work. Women in Pakistan make up only about 22.7 per cent of the total labour force, the lowest rate in the region. When women's participation in the labour force is restricted, the country's growth potential is compromised. Gender-based violence alone can cost as much as 4 per cent of a country's GDP through lost productivity, healthcare costs and legal expenses. For Pakistan, this impact is significant. The safety of women is not only a matter of human rights; it is also a matter of economic security.
As the economy becomes increasingly digital, violence has another dimension. Women who use the internet often face harassment and intimidation, as well as the sharing of non-consensual images. Some women choose to withdraw from the internet as a result, undermining their opportunities for economic growth and inclusion.
Governments at federal and provincial levels have enhanced their child marriage laws, improved workplace harassment laws and strengthened domestic violence laws, making it clear that violence against women is illegal and unacceptable. In Punjab, for example, the Hindu Marriage Registration Rules have reinforced the legal recognition and rights of Hindu women. Sindh has set an important national precedent by establishing 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage and prohibiting child marriage, a standard now mirrored in the Islamabad Capital Territory, Balochistan and Punjab (through its Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance). In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Domestic Violence Against Women (Prevention and Protection) Act of 2021 provides a legal framework to curb domestic violence and enable women to seek protection orders through designated district courts.
These are important milestones, but laws alone cannot protect women. Survivors still face difficulties filing First Information Reports (FIRs), accessing timely medico-legal assistance or navigating lengthy court processes, and shelters and legally aid remain fair outmatched by need. Social pressure to forgive perpetrators further impedes justice. The next phase of progress must turn legal reforms into real, accessible protection - built on well-trained police, health workers and legal officers who understand survivors' needs; simple and trustworthy support services; safe workplaces and transport; digital safeguards; and community efforts that include men and boys. Real safety will come not only from responding to violence, but from preventing it.
Progress in strengthening laws deserves recognition, but lasting progress depends on urgent, consistent implementation. When women are able to study, work, speak and participate fully in society without fear, families grow stronger, communities become more stable and the country moves closer to the just and prosperous future it seeks. Ending violence against women is not peripheral to that vision; it is central to it.
Established in 1985, the Interagency Gender and Development Group (INGAD) brings together bilateral and multilateral partners, UN entities and international financial institutions to advance gender equality in Pakistan. Working closely with the Government, INGAD supports gender-transformative reforms across sectors. The Group is led by UN Women, which serves as Secretariat and permanent co-chair, alongside the High Commission of Canada (current co-chair), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the European Union.