Dr. Nafisa Shah pushes for tougher enforcement of anti-harassment laws, calls for safer and gender-friendly workplaces

Calling harassment a systemic challenge that demands urgent institutional action, Chairperson of the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, Dr. Nafisa Shah Wednesday urged stronger enforcement of anti-harassment laws and closer coordination among state institutions to ensure safe, inclusive, and gender-friendly workplaces across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Feb, 2026) Calling harassment a systemic challenge that demands urgent institutional action, Chairperson of the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, Dr. Nafisa Shah Wednesday urged stronger enforcement of anti-harassment laws and closer coordination among state institutions to ensure safe, inclusive, and gender-friendly workplaces across Pakistan.

She made these remarks while chairing a meeting of the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming at the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment) in Islamabad.

During the visit, the Federal Ombudsperson briefed the Committee on the mandate, legal framework, and operational mechanisms of FOSPAH under key legislations, including the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act, and institutional reform laws.

The Committee was informed about complaint procedures, remedies available to victims, and challenges such as limited inter-departmental cooperation and administrative and financial constraints.

The Federal Ombudsperson sought parliamentary support for legislative reforms, stronger oversight on harassment and

women’s rights issues, enhanced coordination with police, labour departments, regulators and courts, as well as increased budgetary allocations and nationwide awareness initiatives.

Commending FOSPAH’s recent bold decisions,particularly those safeguarding women in educational institutions, the Committee noted that these interventions have set important precedents for accountability and institutional responsibility.

Dr. Nafisa Shah highlighted legal ambiguities in property rights legislation that may overlap with the jurisdiction of Sessions Courts, calling for a comprehensive legal review to harmonize statutes and ensure effective justice delivery.

She stressed the need to strengthen FOSPAH’s presence at the provincial level by expanding institutional capacity, human resources, and coordination with provincial authorities, including home departments, police, labour offices, and social welfare institutions. She also proposed a streamlined, joint complaint mechanism to reduce delays and ensure a victim-centred approach.

Advocating evidence-based policymaking, Dr. Nafisa Shah called for the establishment of a dedicated research wing within FOSPAH to analyse gender-disaggregated data, track emerging trends in harassment and property rights cases, and support legislative reforms.

Reiterating that laws alone are not enough, she emphasized strict compliance, transparent monitoring systems, and seamless institutional coordination to ensure full enforcement of anti-harassment decisions and create equitable work environments.

The Committee expressed grave concern over rising harassment cases in universities and directed the Higher education Commission to adopt a proactive and transparent approach. It urged strict enforcement of anti-harassment committees, prompt and impartial investigations, and time-bound corrective measures to restore confidence in grievance redressal systems.

To strengthen public awareness, the Committee recommended a nationwide campaign using traditional and digital media, in coordination with regulators including the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, to educate citizens about harassment laws and complaint mechanisms and promote a culture of zero tolerance.

The Federal Ombudsperson responded to members’ queries with detailed clarifications on institutional processes and ongoing reforms.

The meeting was attended by Senator Rubina Qaim Khani, Senator Khalida Ateeb, Ms. Shahida Rehmani, MNA, Ms. Shahida Begum, MNA, senior officials of FOSPAH, and representatives of the Ministry of Human Rights.