Pakistan: Worrying rise in gender-based violence against women exposed in Sindh

Islamabad: In a sobering reminder of the deteriorating safety circumstances for women in Sindh, Pakistan, the Women Action Forum (WAF) just published its “Counting the Wounds” report for 2021–2024, which highlights a startling increase in gender-based violence in the province.

Dawn claims that the recently published study reveals a startling 2,564 instances of gender-based violence in Sindh, which represents a consistent increase over the previous three years.

The study also disclosed that the results were shared at the Hyderabad Press Club, where academics, journalists, and activists convened to voice their concerns. “90 percent of perpetrators were family members,” the organization emphasized, illustrating ingrained sexism and dysfunctional protection systems.

Honor murders have increased, according to WAF’s Amar Sindhu, and the majority of those arrested are connected to the victims.

According to Arfana Mallah, another activist, Dawn said, “These are not just numbers, but wounds on smiling faces.” She accused the police of failing to file formal complaints, allowing victims to rely on uncooperative or dishonest officers.

According to Mallah, whom Dawn also cited, “Only senior officers initially respond but eventually withdraw, leaving SHOs in charge, often the weakest link in the chain of justice.”

Poet Khalida Munir saw a startling increase in female suicides in 2023, but she also noted that murders committed under false pretenses of marriage continue to occur. According to Shahnaz Sheedi, “Women are treated like animals, not humans.”

Regarding female violence, Pakistan’s passivity and silence are still appalling. Pakistan still fails its women in spite of several reform pledges.

Deeply ingrained cultural, social, political, and institutional elements have contributed to Pakistan’s history of gender inequality and the erosion of women’s rights, fostering an atmosphere in which violence against women persists.

In Pakistan, women’s rights have continuously been violated in spite of international agreements and legislative frameworks intended to guarantee gender equality, which has resulted in deteriorating safety circumstances for women nationwide.