United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Estimates 2024.
Proportion of ever-married women age 15-49 experiencing intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. Source: National Institute of Population Studies - NIPS/Pakistan and ICF. 2019. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18. Islamabad, Pakistan, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: NIPS and ICF.
Proportion of ever-married women aged 15-49 years experiencing intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence in the last 12 months. Source: National Institute of Population Studies - NIPS/Pakistan and ICF. 2019. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18. Islamabad, Pakistan, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: NIPS and ICF.
(1) Adopt legislation to criminalize all forms of gender-based violence against women, including domestic violence and marital rape, without exemptions; (2) Adopt a national plan of action to combat all forms of gender-based violence against women, with a particular focus on domestic violence; (3) Introduce systematic capacity-building for judges, prosecutors, police officers and other law enforcement officials on the strict application of criminal law provisions for gender-based violence against women and on gender-sensitive investigation procedures, and introduce mandatory training for medical personnel; (4) Ensure the availability of inclusive and accessible shelters for women who are victims of violence throughout its territory and strengthen medical and psychological support services as well as legal counselling and rehabilitation services, for victims, by providing adequate funding, training staff and regularly monitoring those services; (5) Systematically collect and analyse data on all forms of gender-based violence against women, disaggregated by age, region, disability and relationship between the victim and perpetrator, as well as data on the number of protection orders issued, on prosecutions and on the sentences imposed on perpetrators, and include such data in the next periodic report.
Recalling its previous concluding observations (CEDAW/C/PAK/CO/4, paras. 21 and 22) and joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women/general comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2019) on harmful practices, the Committee recommends that the State party adopt a comprehensive strategy to eliminate discriminatory stereotypes and harmful practices, such as child and forced marriage and crimes committed in the name of so-called “honour” (“karo-kari”), which includes awareness-raising and education targeting the general public, parents, religious and community leaders and the media, in collaboration with civil society and women's organizations, on the criminal nature and harmful effects of such practices.
(1) Adopt a bill to amend the Child Marriage Restraint Act to set the minimum age of marriage at 18 years for both sexes without exceptions throughout the State party; (2) Amend the Penal Code to make offences related to forced marriage cognizable and continue raising awareness among all communities and at all levels about the criminal nature and harmful effects of child and forced marriage on the education, health and development of girls; (2) Amend the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance and take all necessary measures to discourage and prohibit polygamy and to ensure the protection of the economic rights of women in existing polygamous marriages; (3) Ensure that the family laws of the different religious communities provide for financial protection for women upon divorce in the form of equal levels of marital support and equitable shares in matrimonial property; (4) Amend or repeal all discriminatory provisions in laws that provide for unequal rights of women with respect to marriage, divorce, guardianship, inheritance and property
(1) Ensure the effective enforcement of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act and of the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, including through systematic training for judges, prosecutors, border police, immigration authorities and other law enforcement officials, and strengthen labour inspections, in particular in sectors employing seasonal workers and in private households; (2) Ensure that victims have access to inclusive and accessible shelters and support services, including psychosocial assistance, and effective redress; (3) Strengthen collaboration with the forced marriage units of countries from/to which girls and women are trafficked for the purpose of forced marriage, and ensure their prompt return; (4) Ensure that cases of trafficking are effectively investigated and prosecuted and that those found guilty are adequately punished; (5) Expedite the establishment of a specialized inter-institutional mechanism coordinating action against trafficking at the national level, and allocate adequate human, technical and financial resources to it; (6) Accelerate the adoption of a national action plan to combat trafficking in persons and provide information on its results in its next periodic report; (7) Increase funding for non-governmental organizations running shelters that provide medical, psychological and social reintegration services to victims of trafficking; (8) Continue to raise awareness about the criminal nature and risks of trafficking in women and girls, provide training to the judiciary, law enforcement officers and border police on the early identification of women and girls who are victims of trafficking, and ensure that victims are referred to appropriate services; (9) Provide training on gender-sensitive treatment of trafficking victims to the judiciary, law enforcement officials, social workers and medical professionals working with victims of trafficking; (10) Ensure the collection of disaggregated statistical data on internal and cross-border trafficking, on the number of criminal proceedings initiated, and on the sentences imposed on perpetrators of trafficking-related crimes, and include such data in the next periodic report.
The Constitution does not include provisions on Violence Against Women and Girls.
The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2012.
Sindh Domestic Violence (Protection and Prevention) Act, 2013.
Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act, 2016.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Prevention and Rehabilitation) Act, 2021.
Balochistan Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2014.
Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Act, 2011
The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act, 2011 (Criminal Law Second Amendment Act, 2011)
Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016.
Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018
Protections are provided through a combination of national and provincial legislation. At the national level, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2012 provides remedies for survivors, while provincial laws include the Sindh Domestic Violence (Protection and Prevention) Act, 2013, Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act, 2016, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Prevention and Rehabilitation) Act, 2021, and Balochistan Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2014.
Other national laws address specific forms of violence:
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Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Act, 2011: criminalizes forced marriage, marriage to settle disputes or to the Holy Quran, and inheritance denial.
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Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act, 2011: criminalizes acid attacks, including through amendments to the Penal Code.
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Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016: addresses cyber harassment, stalking, bullying, and revenge porn.
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Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018: provides measures to prevent trafficking, particularly of women and children.
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Anti-Honour Killing Act, 2016: criminalizes honour killings.
These laws broaden legal protections, define acts of violence as gender-based, and provide civil remedies (protection orders, relief services) alongside criminal sanctions. However, they generally do not frame domestic violence within systemic gender inequalities or patriarchal power structures. Some explicitly recognize that women and girls are disproportionately affected, but gaps remain, or example, marital rape is not comprehensively addressed.
Information provided by UN Women Country Office in Pakistan.
A draft National EVAWG Policy has been prepared by the Ministry of Human Rights with UN Women Support, it is awaiting approval.
However, provisions related to Ending Violence Against Women are included in the National Gender Policy Framework (NGPF) 2022-2030 (Objective 6 Safety & Security | End Gender-based violence and mainstream gender protection across systems, policies, processes, and programs).
Furthermore, a draft National EVAWG Policy has been developed by the Ministry of Human Rights and is awaiting official approval (as of June 2025).
Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.
Additionally, all other four provinces have also enacted similar laws: Pakistan Penal Code (1860), section 354, and section 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Rape is criminalized under Sections 375 and 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code. While there is no specific statutory provision explicitly criminalizing marital rape, the Criminal Laws Amendment Act 2021 and the Anti-Rape Investigation & Trial Act 2021 updated the definition of rape to include consent and broaden its scope (covering acts such as sodomy) without exemptions based on marriage. In a historic first, the Sindh High Court in January 2024 convicted a man for marital rape, sentencing him to three years’ imprisonment, establishing a significant legal precedent.
Pakistan has provincial laws restraining child marriage, including the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025 and the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, with the minimum female marriage age set at 16 in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
For example, according to Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 (MFLO):"Any man who wishes to divorce his wife shall, as soon as may be after the pronouncement of talaq in any form whatsoever, give the Chairman notice in writing of his having done so, and shall supply a copy thereof to the wife." (Article 7(1) of MFLO).
According to Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939 (DMMA), women can only divorce on certain grounds and do not have the right to divorce unilaterally.
The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) is a federal body responsible for the reviews of laws, policies, and programs related to women’s rights and providing recommendations to the government. It also works on initiatives to combat gender-based violence.
Women Development Departments (WDDs): At the provincial level, these departments are responsible for establishing policies and programs related to women’s empowerment and protection.
Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan publish reports on data pertaining to pendency of cases and writ petitions in the courts, disaggregated data on number of Judges, disposal of cases and necessary statistics on budget pertaining to various programs on Administration of Justice.
The Supreme court set procedures and guidelines for the creation of gender-based violence courts, provisions in the Criminal Procedure Code, Pakistan Penal Code 1860, and Qanun e-Shahadat Order 1984.
There are 480 courts designated to adjudicate Gender Based Violence cases, which include 116 district-level GBV Courts. All the designated judges are trained on how to handle GBV cases and preside over the courts.
During 2023, a total of 48,395 new cases were instituted in the GBV Courts across Pakistan and 30,631 cases were resolved.
The Ministry of Human Rights, in collaboration with Group Development Pakistan (GDP), has launched its first-ever Digital Victim Support Directory, a comprehensive resource that lists over 500 public and private organizations providing legal aid and support services for survivors of violence against women and girls (VAW/G).
Among the organizations featured are the Family Protection and Rehabilitation Centre, Ministry of Human Rights, Islamabad, the Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LA&JA), the Legal Aid Society, and the Aurat Foundation.
The Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LA&JA), established under the LA&JA Act 2020, is a government institution mandated to ensure access to justice for poor and vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, in criminal cases.
While all police departments in Pakistan maintain administrative crime data, this information is not made publicly available in a standardized format. Each provincial department uses its own parameters and indicators, which makes the data neither collatable nor comparable across provinces.
To address these gaps, the National Police Bureau (NPB) is intensifying efforts to harmonize and streamline data collection nationwide. With support from UN Women, the NPB has recently established a Gender Responsive Policing Unit (GRPU). Among its core functions, the GRPU is mandated to collate and analyze data on violence against women and girls and to generate evidence-based reports on various forms of gender-based violence for effective monitoring of crime trends and police performance. Although data for 2023 and 2024 have already been compiled, the consolidated report has not yet been published.
In Punjab, Pakistan has established a range of specialized mechanisms to address gender-based violence under the Ending Violence Against Women agenda. These include nine women-only police stations nationwide and ten dedicated GBV units within Punjab (UN Women; Punjab Police; WUNRN). The province has also piloted innovative service models, such as the Women and Juvenile Facilitation Center in Gujrat, which provides integrated criminal justice services, protection, first aid, and psychosocial support to survivors of violence. In addition, Lahore hosts the country’s first virtual women’s police station, accessible via mobile applications and chat functions, which extends its services across the entire province.
Between 2021-2022, the Federal Investigations Agency trained 3,238 officials from various departments on gender-based violence (GBV) and anti-trafficking enforcement laws. Provincial governments also conducted training for 36,850 officials, including 22,290 in Punjab, 2,853 in Sindh, 510 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 64 in Balochistan.
The National Police Bureau through the Provincial Police Departments, collates statistics on reports made pertaining to forms of violence such as rape, gang rape, domestic violence, harassment, honour killings and others annually. The data is not publicly available.
The National Council of Social Welfare provides data on access to social services such as shelters.
The Women Shelter Homes established by the Social Welfare Department, has a monitoring and evaluation system to conduct mid-term evaluations, monthly progress reports, and resident statistics.
Pakistan has over 140 district headquarters hospitals equipped to handle a broad range of emergencies, including cases of violence against women and girls. Urban centers typically have multiple facilities, whereas rural districts face challenges related to capacity and availability.
Under the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021, Anti-Rape Crisis Cells have been established within the emergency response units of each district headquarters hospital. These specialized units provide immediate, coordinated, and victim-centered support to survivors of sexual violence, ensuring medical, legal, and psychosocial assistance in line with national standards.