Published: 07:50 PM, 20 April 2025
A crisis ignored: Alarming scope of gender-based violence in Pakistan
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In an era where the global discourse increasingly champions gender equality, women's rights, and social justice, Pakistan stands at a grim crossroads. The Sustainable Social Development Organisation’s (SSDO) 2024 report offers a sobering glimpse into the condition of women in the country, revealing an unsettling statistic: while globally one in five women faces some form of abuse, an astonishing nine out of ten Pakistani women endure violence in their lifetimes.
This is not just a number; it is a national crisis. The report’s findings cut through layers of societal denial, patriarchal normalisation, and institutional silence. Gender-based violence in Pakistan is not a marginal issue—it is systemic, pervasive, and deeply entrenched in the fabric of everyday life. It manifests in homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals, and public spaces, leaving scars both visible and invisible on millions of women.
Violence against women in Pakistan takes on many forms—domestic abuse, sexual harassment, child marriage, acid attacks, honour killings, trafficking, and psychological torment. These acts are not isolated incidents committed by rogue elements of society; they are often rooted in a culture that condones, and at times even encourages, the subjugation of women. From urban centres to rural villages, gender-based violence is neither class-bound nor confined to any particular geography. It is everywhere.
The SSDO report draws attention to the alarming frequency with which such violence occurs.
In many cases, it is not a matter of if a woman will face abuse, but when. This normalisation of abuse contributes to a cycle where victims remain silent—fearing stigma, retaliation, or indifference from law enforcement and judicial institutions. Families discourage reporting, communities often side with perpetrators, and authorities fail to act with urgency or sensitivity.
Legal structures in Pakistan, while nominally supportive of women's rights, frequently fall short in practice. Laws are inconsistently enforced, police investigations lack transparency, and convictions are rare. Even when high-profile cases of abuse reach the courts or capture media attention, the public spectacle often overshadows justice.
Victims are retraumatised by invasive questioning, media sensationalism, and public judgment. Perhaps most alarming is how embedded this violence is in societal norms. The line between discipline and abuse, custom and crime, honour and oppression, is often blurred. Domestic violence is often justified as a "private matter." Dowry-related abuse, though outlawed, continues with impunity.
Honour killings—where women are murdered by family members over alleged violations of "honour"—persist with chilling regularity, despite widespread condemnation. A culture of silence, bolstered by a mix of fear, shame, and learned helplessness, allows this crisis to deepen. According to the SSDO, many cases go unreported. Survivors rarely receive psychological support.
When they do come forward, they often face more scrutiny than their abusers. The burden of proof rests heavily on the shoulders of the victims, who must navigate a system not built to support them but to question their motives, morality, and memory.
This crisis is not without context. Deep-rooted patriarchy, lack of female representation in decision-making roles, poor access to education for girls, and economic dependency all contribute to the vulnerability of women in Pakistan. When society teaches women to be submissive and men to be dominant from a young age, abuse becomes not only predictable—it becomes inevitable.
There is also a glaring media problem. While some television channels and publications take a progressive stance, a significant portion of media either ignores the issue or, worse, perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes. Women's roles in dramas, films, and even commercials often reinforce outdated tropes of sacrifice, silence, and submission. This cultural reinforcement feeds into societal attitudes that excuse or trivialise abuse. Religious misinterpretations and cultural conservatism also play a role.
While no religion condones violence against women, the use of selective religious rhetoric to justify female subjugation is not uncommon. Clerics and community leaders have a profound influence over public sentiment, and their silence—or complicity—on this issue is part of the problem.
Moreover, the digital realm has brought new dimensions to this violence. Online harassment, cyberstalking, and digital blackmail are now among the most common forms of abuse faced by women, especially young girls. With limited recourse and widespread digital illiteracy, many are left vulnerable to exploitation in virtual spaces that should otherwise empower.
The SSDO’s 2024 report is a wake-up call, not just for policymakers or activists, but for every individual in Pakistan.The sheer scale of the issue demands urgent and sustained attention. This is not a niche concern to be addressed once a year during the "16 Days of Activism" or in panel discussions dominated by urban elites—it is a national emergency that threatens the very fabric of society.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global annual campaign held from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day). It seeks to raise awareness and inspire action to end all forms of violence against women and girls.
The consequences of ignoring this issue are profound. When women are unsafe, silenced, and denied dignity, entire communities suffer. Economic productivity shrinks, education rates fall, healthcare outcomes worsen, and social cohesion erodes. A society that fails its women fails itself. Yet despite the daunting statistics, the resilience of Pakistani women cannot be overlooked. Across the country, countless women and girls fight daily battles for survival, education, dignity, and justice.
Some raise their voices through journalism, art, and activism. Others resist quietly but powerfully in their homes and communities. These women are not just victims—they are agents of change, courageously navigating a system stacked against them. However, courage alone is not enough. When 90% of women in a nation face abuse, the burden cannot rest solely on their shoulders. It becomes a matter of national conscience, demanding reflection, reform, and reckoning.The SSDO report has laid bare the truth that Pakistan can no longer afford to ignore.
This is more than a statistic; it is a mirror held up to a society at war with its own. The choice before the nation is stark: to look away and let the cycle continue—or to confront this crisis head-on, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient that may be.
Written by: Md. Sojib Hossain (Journalist)
