Who pays the cost of silence?

When silence overpowers human emotions, society turns inhuman and violent. Power imbalances intentionally hit gender norms, so violence becomes part of routine life. In such a society, where system supports gender-based violence, victims are always pushed towards the wrong side of the law, blamed and ultimately silenced.

In Pakistan, there is a sharp rise in gender-based violence for the last many years, as the cases reported in 2021 jumped from 30,757 to 61,997 in 2024. Women, children, especially the minor girls, and vulnerable groups are the main victims. These crimes not only hurt the people at individual level but also at community level. Under-reporting, deep-rooted norms, weak laws, and poor enforcement allow perpetrators to escape justice, for which both the victims and the community pay the price.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 ranked Pakistan last, at 148th on the Global Gender Gap Index, below Sudan (147th), Chad (146th), Iran (145th), Guinea (144th), Democratic Republic of the Congo (143rd), Niger (142nd), Algeria (141st), and Mali (140th), with 56.7% gender parity that links toward gender inequalities, where public spaces remain challenging and violence against women and girls is common.

According to the WHO 2023 report, 50% increase in sexual violence is linked to inequality, conflict, and economic hardship. In recent years, nearly 1 in 3 women, or about 840 million worldwide, experience physical or sexual abuse by an intimate partner (32%) or non-partner (8%) in their lifetime. However, it varies between regions and countries. For instance, the highest ratio is in Oceania at 37%, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia at 32% and 31%, respectively. The South Asia region faces higher risks of experiencing sexual violence, with 1 in 4 girls (26.8%) and 1 in 6 boys (15.5%).

In Pakistan, in just two weeks, the media has reported various incidents in June, like the killing of an 18-year-old girl, Amna Sehar, allegedly by her family in the name of honour at Odha village in Kakrali, Gujrat district, the murder of a woman by her 64-year-old husband, Ali Akbar, for refusing marital relations in Orangi Town, Karachi on June 3.

In some other incidents, a lift operator threw acid on a young Lady Doctor, Mahnoor Nasir, while she was on duty at the Civil Hospital/Sandeman Provincial Hospital in Quetta on June 5.  A 17-year-old student, Mishal Fatima, died at DHQ Hospital, Jhang, after being allegedly kidnapped four days earlier, on June 7. Another incident relates to a 7-year-old girl, Muntaha Zahra, who was abused and murdered in Sargodha on June 22. An 8-year-old boy, Shakeel Saleem, was subjected to sexual assault and murdered in Sarli in Thikriwala area of Faisalabad on June 24. A ruthless incident happened with a 3-year-old girl, Kulsoom Qasim, who was raped and brutally murdered in Quaidabad, Karachi, on June 25.

The CCTV videos and news reports about shocking incidents of child abuse and gender-based violence (GBV) were circulated from across the country. Each clip and news trend lasts for 48 hours, then disappears. The same pattern repeats, which means our outrage is faster than our systems. These atrocious incidents spark fear and anxiety among people, emphasising the risk to children’s safety, disrespect, and social disparities that women, girls, boys, and vulnerable groups face in Pakistan. On the other hand, these incidents threaten an individual’s freedom, trust, confidence, and independence, particularly for vulnerable groups across the country.

These incidents exposed an alarming trend of violence emerging as the most widely reported issue in our society. According to the Sahil Report 2025, child abuse cases rose by 8% alongside 34% rise in GBV cases nationwide. The reported data further classify cases as follows: 1,546 murders, 1,345 abductions, and 1,169 cases of torture. For instance, 14.6% of girls and 19.5% of boys experienced sexual violence, and more than 9 children experienced abuse daily. Other figures include 877 rape cases, 680 suicides, 449 injuries, 316 cases of harassment, 41 acid attacks, and 248 cases of honour killings.

Such heinous crimes are not isolated incidents, but a segment of a wider pattern perceived and learned as “acceptable” or “private” that often begins at home with gender norms shaped by the daily practices we normalise. Studies indicate that harmful gender norms shape both family culture and society. Even the interpretation of values, attitudes, behaviours, and family customs develop a standard. The data revealed that 32% of abusers in GBV cases were acquaintances, 18% were strangers, and 12% were husbands, while in 20% cases, the abuser was not mentioned. That’s a reminder of the significant role of parenting, daily-life practices, and community vigilance.

UNICEF’s study analysis shows that early education on body safety and boundaries reduces risk, but in Pakistan, cultural norms around care and affection for children by acquaintances often compromise the natural sense or ability to differentiate good and bad touch, making it difficult to implement. This starts at a very young age, so children often do not understand personal boundaries. Teaching these emotions later can make children feel scared or insecure, and their silence about private matters reduces their ability to make decisions and report unsafe situations. Similarly, a lack of adult supervision and the norm of “community parenting”, where neighbours and relatives are trusted to care for children, can increase risk and vulnerability when those boundaries are not discussed openly.

The Constitution of Pakistan provides several safeguards for women’s rights and legislation to protect women and vulnerable groups from domestic abuse. Article 14 guarantees the Dignity of the Person as a fundamental right, while Article 25 ensures equality before the law.

In line with constitutional obligations, the legislation though exists in all the four provinces, yet implementation is the issue. In Sindh, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act was passed in 2013, the Balochistan Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act was passed in 2014, the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act was passed in 2016, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Domestic Violence Against Women (Prevention and Protection) Act was passed in January 2021. It criminalises domestic violence and talks about giving monetary relief, protection orders, residence orders, and custody orders for children. At the federal level, there exists the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2026, which is only for the Islamabad Capital Territory. Earlier, parliament passed the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2025, which aims to protect vulnerable individuals (including children) from domestic abuse and provides relief and rehabilitation services.

However, the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act, 2016, is unique in many ways because it does not criminalise domestic violence, and the structure is not developed as defined in the law. For instance, a protection officer, a courtroom, a court, or a women’s protection committee, to whom a woman can approach the court directly. The Act is notified only in Multan because the Violence Against Women’s Center is located there. Similarly, some other laws, including the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010, the Criminal Law Amendment Acts of 2006 and 2016, and the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021, provide a strong legal framework.

Pakistan has sufficient strong laws to protect children, such as Zainab Alert Act 2020, Anti-Rape Act 2021, Provincial Child Protection Acts, and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, which criminalises online abuse like child pornography, blackmail, cyberstalking, and sharing private images. The main problem is implementation since child courts, child protection units, and commissions are not fully established. For example, KP was supposed to set up 34 child protection courts, but so far it has only 8. However, without effective enforcement and support systems, these protections often fail to translate into real safety and justice for the victims.

Despite having a strong legal framework, commitments to Sustainable Development Goals, and being part of several international conventions and treaties, Pakistan is faced with the growing challenge of domestic violence because of its failure to implement these laws. Implementation remains a central challenge due to structural gaps, financial and societal barriers, and regressive mindsets faced by survivors. However, weak enforcement and social barriers mean the state has failed to carry the full burden. Without proper resources and enforcement, these laws cannot fully protect vulnerable groups, children (girls, boys), and women unless we address multiple layers of traditions and gender norms.

The rising cases of domestic as well as gender-based violence, alongside child abuse cases, show that the problem often starts in everyday spaces, in markets, on streets, and even inside homes where supervision and communication are missing. We must begin at home by building trust and strong family ties, reducing communication gaps, and giving our children and adults a safe, violence-free environment where they feel valued, protected, and are heard progressively.

The real change begins with embracing alternative solutions, such as unlearning traditional life patterns and social behaviours, and relearning improved ones, and implementing them at home, in communities, and in stimulating the next generation in the shape of social obligations and customs.

In schools and colleges, the youth must be imparted education and training about respect, consent, and safety, while teachers and parents need to be sensitised to recognise warning signs in children’s and adults’ behaviours to respond to them early.

Communities need to play a radical role by challenging these rigid and harmful norms and supporting survivors so that they may not be stigmatised.

Similarly, media has a significant role in setting the agenda by supporting survivors of abuse and GBV, raising awareness, and demanding government action to ensure safety, human rights, and justice.

Law-enforcement agencies are responsible for implementing laws and policies. It is important to identify the gap between law-enforcement agencies and the court system. Both are the components of our justice system, but they lack awareness about the issue.

Preventing violence and shifting attitudes over time will require collective effort by families, school managements, communities, and law-enforcement agencies because a safer society is built when every home becomes a place of protection, dignity, and care.