In 2018, incidents of violence against women escalated. The year began with the rape and murder of an 8-year-old namely Zainab, as a report called Pakistan the sixth most unsafe country for women when it comes to physical abuse and sexual violence among other psychosocial insecurities.
There were some redemptive measures such as the passing of the Acid and Burn Crime Bill 2017 in May which pledged free treatment for victims of acid attacks. In November, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet passed a bill condemning domestic violence which is expected to be put up before the provincial assembly.
However, as the chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), Khawar Mumtaz has argued that the passing of laws will have no impact upon such modes of violence unless they are strictly implemented.
