WOMEN ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN PAKISTAN; EXTRAPOLATING ABUSES AND BARRIERS

Abstract

Pakistan has aimed to ameliorate the status of its women by passing different laws and bills to protect women from prejudice and immoral behavior. On the contrary the emerging reality in Pakistan is alarming bells of abuses and discrimination against women by the absolute denial of justice. This research set forth to provide overview of all challenges that women face for their access to justice. This research includes mosaic barriers of inclusive nature catching the aspects of social element to legal element and further leads to the complete abnegation of access to justice for women. The major reasons of motley nature found were lack of knowledge, cultural deep rooted misogyny especially in rural areas, patriarchy, deliberate attempt not to seek justice fearing for victim blaming or loss of modesty and technical procedures of criminal justice system. There must be a comprehensive training to provide facilitation to women at police stations, promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution forums and also to establish infrastructure for women which includes facilitation points in all formal institutions. This piece of study is stressing the impediments of legal and social nature regarding the women access to justice in Pakistan. The gist of study is circumscribed to the extent of stressing barriers for women to get justice, development of justice and policy making by the adoption of affirmative actions by the government of Pakistan.