A nation caught in the confluent challenges of security, Pakistan has done well to knit gender-based vulnerabilities within its security architecture. Nevertheless, important policy gaps combined with the need for gender-sensitive reforms remain significant problems. While the country has pulled through to overcome extremism, violence, and inequality, we need as a country to take an inclusive approach and make sure women and marginalized genders are empowered as well as safe.

Over 5,000 cases of violence against women were reported in Pakistan in the first half of 2023, highlighting the urgent need for stronger enforcement of GBV laws.

Gender-sensitive security reforms is not only a moral but a strategic necessity for Pakistan’s sustainable development and stability. Gender-based violence or GBV is one of the toughest and most pressing challenges Pakistan faces today in all communities of the country.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in the first half of the year over 5,000 cases were registered in the reporting period including honor killings, domestic violence, and sexual violence. These figures are alarming, but the government has taken some steps towards solving this problem.

For example, the Punjab and other legislation in various provinces represent significant progress. Nevertheless, these laws remain inconsistently implemented and, systems barriers persist of fear of retaliation, stigma surrounding being HIV positive, and a lack of trust in law enforcement. But strengthening such enforcement—coupled with specialized training for the police and judiciary—would yield far better outcomes for survivors of attacks.

Women in conflict-affected regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan are facing special security obstacles, such as displacement, economic instability, and their inability to access healthcare and education. A report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre reported that more than 80 percent of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Pakistan are women and children, who make up the majority of occupants of temporary camps, including those that are unsafe from the standpoint of exploitation and abuse.

Although Pakistan’s National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism, brought into force in 2015, has played an important role in curbing extremism, it has not yet put into practice a gender-sensitive approach with regard to meeting the special needs of women in the contexts of conflict. The integration of gender perspective into NAP as well as other security policies can improve the protection of women and the use of their potential as agents of peace and resilience.

Women constitute less than 2% of Pakistan’s police force, limiting their ability to address gender-specific security concerns effectively.

Indeed, Pakistan has also been working to raise the number of women stationed in security forces and in decision making and the progress is slow. Less than 2 percent of Pakistan’s police force, and varying numbers of them at leadership levels, are women, according to a 2023 report from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The severity of this underrepresentation limits their capacity to respond to the needs of women that security institutions should, but cannot, respond to.

For instance, gender diversity in law enforcement is important since for example, female victims of violence may fail to report incidents to male officers. Positive steps such as the induction of women into the police force and their placement in women-only police stations, all serve as a good starting point, however, more still needs to be done to address the problem of workplace harassment, discrimination, and cultural barriers which prevent women from participating in security institutions.

Another area where Pakistan said it would fight (it has), is extremism and terrorism, however, gender-sensitive approaches are often overlooked. Yet the voices of women are rarely heard when it comes to counter-extremism strategies – women are uniquely positioned to detect and prevent radicalization in their families and communities. However, while the National Counter Extremism Policy Guidelines (NCEPG) are now in place, a gendered perspective remains absent, a missed opportunity to draw on women’s knowledge, understanding, and experiences.

The latest 2023 report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) on the online radicalization of women and girls emphasizes the need to take gender-sensitive initiatives to counter extremism. However, faced with these challenges, Pakistan has taken on addressing gender disparities and ensuring security for all its citizens. The government’s efforts to introduce legislation, increase the number of women in security forces, and combat extremism are commendable.

And yet we need a more holistic and more inclusive approach to close the gaps that still exist between technology and policy. This entails putting gender in to drive the implementation of GBV laws, integrating women into conflict responsiveness and rehabilitation programs, and not only opening but ensuring women’s meaningful participation in counter-extremism strategies. Further increase of women’s representation in security forces and decision-making roles will not only contribute to gender-biased issues but will also help to strengthen the security institutions.

Pakistan’s National Action Plan against terrorism lacks a gender-sensitive approach, missing opportunities to empower women in conflict zones.

Pakistan’s successful reframing of gender-sensitive security reform journey is its story of resilience and determination to forge a more gender-responsive and more equitable society. Although there is still work to be done, there has been a good deal of progress already, and the momentum created from that progress is ripe for building on. If Pakistan is to realize its full population potential, and by extension, to create a safer, more prosperous future, and offset the negative socio-economic effects of its aging demographics, these policy gaps must be addressed now. And now is the time for balanced and inclusive security reforms and Pakistan has an opportunity to spearhead them in the region.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.