Pakistan's Patriarchal Crisis: WAF's Disturbing Report on Gender-Based Violence

In a damning revelation of Pakistan's systemic failure to safeguard its women, the Women's Action Forum (WAF) unveiled an extensive report on Monday, chronicling 2,176 incidents of gender-based violence across Sindh from July 2021 to June 2025.

The findings, based on rigorous media monitoring by WAF's Hyderabad chapter, depict a harrowing image of deep-rooted misogyny, governmental inertia, and patriarchal impunity that result in the continued assault on the lives and dignity of women and girls. WAF's data, collected through comprehensive tracking of various media channels, points to a reality where actual figures are likely much higher.

Voicepk.net highlights the startling 216% rise in female murders between 2021 and 2022, alongside a 291% increase in rape cases and a near doubling of suicides. The report challenges the misconception that violence must be overt to be real, explaining how patriarchy enforces control through means less visible yet equally oppressive. Alarmingly, the report underscores the state's role in perpetuating this cycle, noting a paucity of arrests or convictions in murder and rape cases.

(With inputs from agencies.)