ISLAMABAD: Dr Shahida Rehmani, Member of the National Assembly and Secretary of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), has moved a resolution in the National Assembly reaffirming Parliament’s commitment to protecting the dignity, equality and rights of every individual against all forms of workplace harassment and gender-based discrimination.
According to a press release issued on October 30, 2026, the resolution states that workplace harassment is not confined to conduct of a sexual nature. It may also include gender-based discrimination, intimidation, humiliation, degrading treatment, hostile behaviour and misuse of authority, whether sexual or non-sexual in nature.
The resolution reaffirms the legislative intent and protections provided under the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, as amended in 2022. It notes that the law expressly recognises discrimination on the basis of gender, whether sexual or non-sexual, within the statutory framework of harassment.
It further emphasises that the absence of a sexual advance or demand does not reduce the seriousness of gender-based harassment or discrimination. The resolution states that the dignity of individuals cannot be subjected to narrow distinctions between different forms of harassment, and that all conduct falling within the scope of the law must be addressed with equal seriousness, fairness and accountability.
Through the resolution, the National Assembly has been called upon to urge the federal government and all concerned institutions to ensure effective implementation of the existing legislation in its full scope. It stresses that no individual should be deprived of statutory protection merely because the harassment or gender-based discrimination reported is non-sexual in nature.
The initiative also reinforces the broader commitment of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus to ensuring that workplaces across Pakistan remain free from harassment, intimidation, humiliation and discrimination.
The resolution concludes by reaffirming that a workplace free from harassment, humiliation and gender-based discrimination is not a privilege, but a fundamental requirement of human dignity, equality and justice.
