17,527 cases of violence against women, 6,624 rape cases reported during 2023 in Punjab

Islamabad:Data released on violence against women in 2023 by Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), shows an alarming high number of cases registered in Punjab. A total of 17,527 cases were reported, a stark increase from 14,793 in 2022. Whereas in Sindh province, 2125 cases of violence against women were reported during the last year.

In Punjab, 10,201 cases of violence were recorded against PPC 354 and PPC 509. Among all districts, Lahore was a hotspot of violent crime against women, accounting for 1464 cases, followed by Sheikhupura (1198) and Kasur (877). Likewise, the number of rape cases in the province of Punjab was also a cause for concern, as a total of 6624 cases were reported across the province in 2023, which meant that approximately after every 45 minutes, a woman was raped. Faisalabad emerged as a hotspot district with 728 cases, followed closely by Lahore (721) and Sargodha (398).

Other rampant crimes against women in Punjab included kidnapping and honor killing. A total of 562 women were kidnapped in Punjab in 2023, with Lahore (136), Faisalabad (30) and Vehari (26) as hotspots. Moreover, 120 cases of honor killing were also reported, with Rahim Yar Khan (9), Jhang (8) and Rajanpur (8) as hotspots. Finally, 20 cases of trafficking in persons were also reported, with 19 of them from Chiniot.

In the province of Sindh, 2125 cases of violence against women were reported in 2023, compared to 2184 in 2022. A total of 1349 women were abducted across the province, which meant that approximately 26 women were kidnapped almost every week. Similarly, 346 cases of domestic violence and 200 cases of sexual abuse were also reported, as well as 136 cases of honor killing. The number of cases of domestic violence were almost at par with the number of cases in 2022, both the number of sexual abuse and honor killing cases were substantially higher. In addition, 94 cases of workplace harassment were also reported in 2023.

Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director at SSDO stated, “These numbers paint a very scary picture regarding the high prevalence of violence against women in both provinces. It is crucial for all relevant stakeholders to jointly work together to eradicate this issue and make the province safer for women.”This data was collected by filing a “Right to Information” request with the Punjab and Sindh Police under Article 19-A of the constitution.