The Peace & Justice Network (PJN), in partnership with the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Islamabad, convened a multi-stakeholder consultation to strengthen the GBV response across the federal capital. The session, chaired by Ms. Umme Laila Azhar, Chairperson NCSW, and facilitated by Syed Raza Ali, CEO PJN, brought together government protection institutions, national human rights bodies, law enforcement, legal aid providers, development partners and civil society to review existing coordination and protection mechanisms.
Participants from the district judiciary, FOSPAH, the Ministry of Human Rights, the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, the Law & Justice Commission of Pakistan, the Ministry of Law & Justice, and the Anti-Rape Crisis Cell at PIMS and Polyclinic joined UN agencies, academia and grassroots organisations to identify gaps and agree actionable strategies. The group examined how to make the GBV response more survivor-centered, improve referral pathways and close data gaps that impede timely protection and access to justice.
A central outcome of the consultation was advancing the establishment of a Gender Justice Safety Net for the Islamabad Capital Territory as a replicable model for other provinces. The proposed framework by PJN focuses on integrated, multi-layered protection that ensures women, girls and other vulnerable groups receive timely support services, legal aid and safe referral mechanisms. The design places emphasis on coordination across institutions to deliver effective GBV response on the ground.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence featured prominently in discussions, with stakeholders noting the need to update protocols and build capacity to address digital harms. Strengthening inter-agency data sharing, mapping protection pathways and reviewing the effectiveness of existing services were highlighted as immediate priorities to strengthen the GBV response in Islamabad.
Attendees pledged full support for establishing integrated protection mechanisms, pursuing joint advocacy to tackle legislative and institutional gaps, and launching grassroots engagement to restore public confidence in the justice system. The consultation set the stage for follow-up actions to operationalise the Gender Justice Safety Net and monitor progress against survivor-centered outcomes.
PJN and NCSW said the collaborative effort underlines a renewed commitment to enhancing survivor access to protection and justice in the capital, with the aim of creating a scalable model that provinces can adopt to improve GBV response nationwide.
