No country for women? 70% women in Pakistan face harassment at workplace, says report

Islamabad: Over 70 per cent women are victims of harassment at the workplace in Pakistan and there seems to be no end to their plight, a report stated. Recently, an order has been issued by the federal ombudsman who has imposed a penalty on the former ambassador of Pakistan to Italy, Nadeem Riaz, who has been found sexually harassing the trade officer. The reports have shown that the ombudsman has charged him with a heavy fine on the complaint of the trade officer who said that Nadeem Riaz had sexually harassed her, according to the Pakistani newspaper Daily Times. Reports say that women who are working in offices in Pakistan with male colleagues and at places where the male ratio is significantly high, find inconvenience in their mobility around and at the workplace.

Citing official reports, Daily Times reported that more than 70 per cent of women are harassed at their workplaces every day. Many women have abandoned the idea of being a working woman owing to the lack of security and improper working conditions at the workplace and those who are forced to earn to support their families often remain silent as they cannot give up their job, nor do they complain about it due to fear of losing their employment. Sara, a 25-year-old banker, said the practice prevalent in the workplace puts women in jeopardy." Harassment exists and we cannot ignore that. But we have to remain silent, otherwise, our fathers and brothers won't let us continue working, and we cannot afford that," she said as quoted by the media outlet.

A report was produced on "Sexual Harassment at workplace in Pakistan" after analyzing the experiences of various women who were asked about their working environment at the workplace. Most women are also found switching their jobs in order to avoid such a toxic environment. Data collected by White Ribbon Pakistan, an NGO working for women's rights, shows that 4,734 women faced sexual violence between 2004 and 2016. Lately, the government of Pakistan has passed the "Protection against Harassment at the Workplace (Amendment Bill), 2022 and has amended the weaker provisions of the 2010 law. Pakistan observes an increased ratio of overall working women in recent years but the country is grappling with the issue of psychological, physical and sexual harassment of women that impedes their safe mobility and prevents them from stepping outside to work.