Empowering Women: Pakistan Introduces App to Report Harassment Incidents

In recent times, the authorities in Pakistan have taken good steps to fight the harassment of females at all levels. In this regard, the Federal Ombudsman for Harassment, Fozia Waqar, has announced the launch of a new app for complaints against harassment. It is a good step as it will lead to efficient action against perpetrators of harassment.

The app will allow users to file a complaint from any area. However, as of yet, there are no details regarding the title of the app or how it works.

In a statement to a media outlet, Fozia said that harassment has become a global issue and multiple complaints have been filed by students of universities. As per a report, in 2019, 56% of students faced harassment, with 26% of female students harassed in higher education institutions, which is shocking.

Moreover, the official mentioned that complaints have been received mainly from Iqra and Bahawalpur Universities in Punjab. The incident at Bahawalpur Islamic University was lamentable. It came to light when the institution’s chief security officer was arrested for possessing drugs.

Fauzia said that in 2022, there were a total of 857 cases of harassment. She also stated that the non-provision of equal opportunities for advancement and reduction in salaries of women also come under the definition of harassment.

However, she mentioned that the cases pertaining to domestic violence do not fall under the scope of their institution, adding that if there is harassment by a domestic male or female employee, they can report it through the new app. The cases related to creating divisions between men can also be reported.

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