Islamabad: Federal Ombudsperson Fauzia Waqar and Chairperson NCSW National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW), Noureen Bano Lehri on Saturday stressed that without adequate resources for institutions safeguarding women, independent anti-harassment committees with external oversight, and stronger accountability mechanisms, gender-based violence would not be checked.
They called for strict law enforcement, digital governance reforms, coordinated action, cyber harassment control, gender sensitization and an end to illegal Jirga systems.
They expressed that the Federal Ombudsmen Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) and the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) would continue their collective efforts to strengthen coordination between institutions aimed at improving women’s protection mechanisms across the country.
The NCSW Chairperson, while speaking to a local media outlet, stated that in collaboration with the Balochistan Governor and other stakeholders, justice forums and women security centres were being established around courts to remove barriers and improve access to justice for women.
FOSPAH and NCSW emphasized upon the need for tech-enabled institutions and strong federal-provincial coordination to effectively address gender-based violence, dismantle the illegal Jirga system and ensure safer environments for women nationwide. FOSPAH Ombudsperson Fauzia Waqar said that cases of gender-based violence and harassment were now being reported more regularly, stressing that institutions must be provided adequate resources to proceed these cases timely.
She said there should be no space for illegal Jirga systems, while institutional capacities must be strengthened to improve their ability to respond effectively, including enhanced technology-based mechanisms and stronger action against cyber harassment.
She further said that FOSPAH was working on expanding awareness and prevention efforts through collaboration with the media and educational institutions.
In this regard, coordination with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and universities was ongoing to promote gender sensitization, strengthen reporting systems and build a more informed and responsible society to address harassment and violence against women.
NCSW Chairperson, Noureen Bano Lehri, also added that while reporting of gender-based violence cases was increasing, there were also concerns regarding misuse of power and resources within some institutions, particularly universities.
She stressed upon the need for transparent and accountable systems so that protection mechanisms were not misused and remained focused on safeguarding rights and ensuring justice.
She further said that committees were being formed in universities with provincial coordination, where external members would also be included to ensure independence and credibility.
She added that this approach aimed to strengthen oversight, improve complaint handling and prevent internal influence or bias in dealing with harassment and gender-based violence cases.
