Gender-Based Violence in Pakistan: Reasons and Possibilities

Abstract

Gender-based violence is a significant and growing problem in the modern world, and Pakistan is also grappling with this issue. It highlights significant shortcomings in the current systems of justice and laws. This research aims to address gender-based violence concerns in Pakistan by identifying the shortcomings in the current adjudication system and proposing reforms in the policy of interpretation and adjudication to eradicate gender- based violence. Gender-based violence has been a clearly characterized and effectively tackled problem in recent decades. An important achievement in this context was the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Gender-based Violence, which offered the first authoritative clarification of gender-based violence. Article 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 guarantees equal legal protection to all people, irrespective of their gender. In October 2019, the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) instructed Pakistan's high courts to establish dedicated tribunals just for handling cases related to gender-based violence, as part of ongoing efforts to combat this issue in the country. This study will examine the problems associated with gender-based violence in Pakistan.