Cyber Harassment and Online Violence Against Women in Pakistan: Legal Gaps and Enforcement Challenges

Abstract

Online violence and cyber harassment of women in Pakistan have turned out to be an urgent issue in the digital age. Although the internet connectivity and social media has resulted in a better avenue of communication, trade and participation of women in civic activities, it has also brought with it new vices of mistreating women such as cyberstalking, sharing of intimate photos without their consent, impersonation and target threats. The legal reaction, which is majorly organized by the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA), can be seen as the endeavor to mitigate these harms as part of the broader scope of cybercrime control. But there are large gaps, in the formulation of statutes and in institutional practice. Women have problems with reporting barriers, insufficient gender sensitive mechanisms and slow or ineffective investigation procedures. These are aggravated by the socio-cultural stigmas and lack of digital literacy which further deter victims to find solutions.

The paper interrogates these concerns by analyzing the Pakistani law using the doctrines, reviewing the enforcement practices and the comparison with the international human rights standards. It claims that both legal reform and structural changes in implementation, gender-responsive law enforcement training, better digital forensic capabilities and closer cooperation with online platforms are both necessary to address technology-enabled gender-based violence. Finally, the paper points to the necessity of a systematic, victim-focused solution to the problem of ensuring that the digital legal framework of Pakistan is well-equipped to represent the rights of women and can be harmonized with international standards.