Islamabad: Federal Ministry of Human Rights with the technical support of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched the National Strategy on Male Involvement to Prevent Gender-Based Violence (GBV), a framework aimed at engaging men and boys as partners in ending violence against women and girls.
The launch, held at the Movenpick Hotel in Islamabad, was presided over by Federal Minister for Human Rights, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Secretary Ministry of Human Rights, Abdul Khalique Shaikh, UNFPA Representative, Dr. Luay Shabaneh, representatives of the Embassy of the Netherlands, development partners, civil society organizations, and male champions from across the country. Dr. Muhammad Arif, Director, Ministry of Human Rights explained the conception and development process of the Strategy, highlighting the extensive consultations, evidence review and multisectoral engagements that informed its formulation.
According to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18, 28% of ever-married women ages 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence since age 15, and 34% have faced physical, emotional or sexual violence by a husband/spouse. 56% of women who reported violence never sought help or told anyone, the survey found. The transgender persons in certain cases are victims of GBV.
The new strategy seeks to break that silence by mobilizing men in their roles as fathers, husbands, teachers, faith leaders and community members to challenge harmful social norms and promote what officials described as positive masculinity. It aligns with Pakistan's commitments under Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action and Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and was developed with UNFPA's technical support and funding from the Embassy of the Netherlands.
"We gather today to launch a Strategy that goes to the heart of our human rights mandate: the right of every person to live free from violence and fear," said Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Human Rights. "This Strategy reflects wide consultation across government, civil society and communities, and it is a call to action for every sector of government, education, health, security and families to build a culture of respect and accountability. As the Ministry is responsible for human rights, we pledge our full support to ensure that it translates into real change, not just a document on a shelf."
"The mark of a real man is how he treats a woman," said Dr. Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Representative in Pakistan. "Ending violence against women begins with the conversations men have with other men. Men of quality are not afraid of equality, and real men choose love over power. Today's launch marks Pakistan's commitment to bringing men and boys into that conversation as allies, not bystanders."
The strategy sets out a national framework for programming on positive masculinity, harmful-norm change and trauma-informed service delivery, and officials urged federal and provincial human rights ministries to embed it within existing GBV coordination mechanisms. Development partners were asked to align their support behind the national framework rather than pursue separate, parallel initiatives, while civil society organizations and community leaders were called on to extend its principles into schools, colleges and workplaces.
The event featured a screening of a strategy overview video, testimonials from male champions, and a panel discussion titled "Engaging Men and Boys as Allies in Ending GBV", featuring civil society representatives and youth leaders. Officials called on government departments, civil society and development partners to align resources and programming behind the strategy's rollout across health, education, justice and security sectors.