December 10, 2025
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
As the campaign for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence ends, it is marked with the International Human Rights Day falling on December 10. Once he focus is on the violence that women face all the year round.
In response to the day, and the on going gender based violence, the Women’s Action Forum (WAF), a leading feminist organization takes note of the recently released UN global report on femicide.
With its alarming data, the report has left room for reflection on where Pakistani women stand today.
UN Report
In the UN report, the term ‘femicide’ has been used to refer to all types of gender-related killings of women and girls as described in the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Gender-related killing of women and girls also referred to as feminicide. It has been developed by UNODC and UN Women and approved by the United Nations Statistical Commission in March.
The framework identifies three types of femicide: intentional homicides (of women and girls) perpetrated by intimate partners, intentional homicides perpetrated by other family members and intentional homicides committed by perpetrators other than intimate partners or other family members and where the killing meets at least one of eight criteria identified in the Statistical Framework.
Intimate partners include current or former spouses, intimate partners, cohabiting partners or dating partners. Other family members refer to blood relatives parents, children, siblings, uncles, cousins, etc. other relatives by marriage or adoption adopted children, parents-in-law, siblings-in-law, etc. irrespective of whether or not they were cohabitating with the victim at the time of the killing, as well as other household members.
Globally nearly 50,000 women were killed by their intimate partners or other family members during 2024. Lower than the number in 2023 (51,100) this change is not however indicative of an actual decrease as it is largely due to differences in data availability at the country level.
The figure means that 60 per cent of the 83,000 women and girls killed intentionally during the year were murdered by their intimate partners or other family members. In other words, an average of women and girls worldwide lost their lives every day at the hands of their partner or a close relative.
In other words, an average of women and girls worldwide lost their lives every day at the hands of their partner or a close relative. This extreme form of gender-based violence continues to affect women and girls everywhere and no region is excluded. With an estimated 22,600 victims of intimate partner family member femicide in 2024.
On average there are 137 women killed everyday by their family member.
In recent years, several countries have begun to quantify these other forms of femicide by implementing the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Gender-related Killing of Women and Girls also referred to as femicide feminicide jointly developed by UNODC and UN Women.
However, the availability of data on femicide perpetrated beyond the private sphere continues to remain very limited and it is not yet possible to accurately assess the size of this type of femicide at regional or global levels.
Due to insufficient data in other regions, time trends in intimate partner family member femicide can currently only be monitored in the Americas and Europe.
WAF on local situation of GBV
WAF appreciated the legislation and the rights given to women in the constitution but rejected the oppressive environment that was a breeding ground of GBV.
‘We have been proud of several Articles on gender equality, affirmative action, democracy, justice, rule of law and fundamental human rights in the 1973 Constitution, unanimously endorsed 52 years ago,’ says a statement released by WAF. ‘However, WAF has never condoned or accepted military dictatorships or any of the unjust, discriminatory, undemocratic Constitutional Amendments (CAs) by anyone, dating back to the mid-1970s. We never will. It is now exactly 50 years since Pakistan participated in the first UN international conference on women (Mexico 1975), and 30 years after the fourth in the series (Beijing 1995). We are now approaching the 30th anniversary of Pakistan’s ratification of the UN Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 1996). The State of Pakistan has signed and ratified numerous important international charters, conventions, declarations – starting with the UN Charter (1947) and UDHR (1948). WAF is forced to ask the vital question: Were these actions taken with bona fide or mala fide intent? Or was Pakistan simply going through the motions pro forma, because almost all other countries were doing so?’
WAF also questioned whether these were due to external pressure, or economic expediency, e.g. the EU’s GSP+ preferential trade status – with no intention of implementation or accountability?
‘We have always protested Pakistan’s CEDAW reservation/declaration and absence of legislation on its important clauses, e.g. definition of discrimination. Now that several other fundamental human rights are rapidly being eroded too, impacting upon all, WAF stands with other feminist, democratic, progressive movements across the country.’
In is statement, WAF also made demands from the government to protect women. These longstanding demands are as follows:
- Concrete, verifiable, quantifiable action on guaranteed Constitutional rights. International conventions must be ratified, pledges made, declarations signed at global fora.
- Truthful, inclusive, participatory, credible State reporting on, inter alia, CEDAW, CRC, UPR, ICCPR, ICESCR, CERD, SDGs, Beijing+30, WSSD+30, and so on.
- Inclusion of suggested measures for women’s empowerment, political participation and representation in political party manifestos; and foremost priority be given to population stabilization.
- Repeal of all discriminatory, unjust, illegal “laws”, dating back to Hudood Ordinances 1979.
- Urgent attention must be given to: eradication of poverty, particularly feminization of poverty (3:1 ratio); women’s formal sector under/unemployment; unpaid, unregistered women in non-formal sectors, e.g. agriculture, domestic, homebased women workers; bonded exploitative labour.
- Implementation of Right to Education for all children up to age 16 – focus on 26 million out of school, the majority being girls; reform curricula to include Life Skills-Based Education, respect for women, girls, transpersons, and dignity for all genders, religions, ethnicities.
- Free, universal (rural focus) provision of primary/reproductive health care and family planning.
- Gender-focused, community-based environment/climate-adaptation financing, accountability.
- Inclusion of gender responsive budgeting and women at senior policy levels, e.g. economic development, education, health-population, environment-climate change, local infrastructure.
- Right to freedom from all forms of gender-based violence, particularly femicide. 11. Right to freedom from religious extremism and coercion, sexism, patriarchy, misogyny. Pakistani women must not be denied our basic human right to life – free of violence.
Women’s Parliamentary Caucus
Meanwhile the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) commemorated International Human Rights Day 2025, reaffirming its commitment to advancing equality, justice, and the protection of fundamental rights for all, especially women and girls across Pakistan.
Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Secretary of the WPC, highlighted that this year’s Human Rights Day serves as a reminder that true progress can only be achieved when every citizen enjoys equal rights, equal dignity, and equal opportunities. She emphasized that despite significant progress, women in Pakistan continue to face discrimination, violence, and barriers that limit their full participation in society.
“The WPC remains fully committed to strengthening pro-women laws, promoting gender-responsive governance, and ensuring that every woman and girl in Pakistan can live free from fear, violence, and inequality,” Dr. Rehmani stated. She reaffirmed the Caucus’s resolve to continue working with all political parties, government institutions, civil society, and international partners to uphold the human rights principles enshrined in Pakistan’s Constitution and global commitments.
The WPC called on all stakeholders—parliamentarians, policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and communities—to renew their efforts towards ending gender-based violence, ensuring equal access to justice, and promoting an inclusive and peaceful society.
On this Human Rights Day, the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus reiterates that protecting human rights is a shared responsibility and essential for building a prosperous and equitable Pakistan.