International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women Marked in Lahore

By Farzana Chaudhry – Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: The Punjab Safe City Authority on Tuesday hosted a ceremony to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign. Provincial Minister for Law Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan attended the event as the chief guest.

UN Women Country Representative Jamshed Zaki, Convener Punjab Women Parliamentary Caucus Begum Ishrat Arshad, representatives from the Virtual Women Police Station, UNFPA, civil society, and several public and private organizations were also present.

In his address, the Law Minister said the Punjab government maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of violence against women. He emphasized that “a safe and empowered digital Punjab” is the government’s shared mission, supported by rapid legislative and systemic reforms.

He said Punjab has initiated comprehensive measures to tackle digital violence, with the Punjab Safe Cities Authority playing an important role through advanced monitoring systems. The government is increasing the number of trained police officers and prosecutors, while establishing a modern judicial mechanism for digital crime cases. Digital literacy programs have also been launched in schools and universities to help young people—especially girls—navigate the online world safely.

“The nature of violence has changed, and laws and institutions must evolve accordingly,” the minister said, stressing the importance of empowering girls with confidence and digital skills.

A panel discussion followed, featuring Managing Director PSCA Ahsan Younas, UN-O Education Specialist Sehr Qazalbash, UNFPA Deputy Country Representative Mrs. Gulnar, and other experts. They discussed rising trends in gender-based and digital violence.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation between government institutions, international organizations, civil society, and academic bodies to ensure a safer digital environment and eliminate gender-based violence in Punjab.