The Silent War: TFGBV and Women’s Safety in Pakistan

In an era where smartphones connect millions and information flows freely, a dangerous new threat has emerged for women in Pakistan: Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). While digital spaces offer opportunities for education, entrepreneurship, activism, and expression, they also expose women to alarming risks of harassment, surveillance, blackmail, and character assassination. The internet—meant to be a space of empowerment—is rapidly becoming a battlefield.

From deepfakes to doxxing, revenge porn to cyberbullying, TFGBV is an evolving form of violence that mirrors, amplifies, and digitises existing patriarchal control. It weaponizes digital tools to silence, shame, and intimidate women into invisibility. And unlike physical spaces where gender-based violence has long been debated, digital violence remains unspoken, often dismissed, and rarely punished.

The New Face of Patriarchy

The most chilling aspect of TFGBV is how calculated and political it has become. Female journalists, politicians, influencers, students, and everyday users face a relentless flood of gendered abuse. Notable figures like Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Bushra Bibi have been targeted through digitally altered videos and moral policing campaigns—not for their policies, but for their gender.

Unlike their male counterparts, women in politics are judged by their perceived virtue, attire, or private lives. The aim isn’t discourse—it’s destruction. Even ordinary women expressing opinions online are stalked, slut-shamed, and sometimes threatened with physical harm. Social media has enabled anonymous armies to strip women of safety and dignity with impunity.

Numbers That Should Alarm Us

According to the Digital Rights Foundation, over 12,000 online harassment complaints were filed from 2016 to 2024, with a significant rise during the COVID era. These are only the reported cases; the real number is likely much higher, considering the stigma and fear attached to reporting such abuse.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) struggles to respond effectively—overburdened, undertrained, and outpaced by the speed and complexity of digital threats. Meanwhile, survivors often face victim-blaming, procedural delays, or outright dismissal of their experiences as “Westernized issues.”

Beyond Harassment: Lives and Legacies at Stake

TFGBV doesn’t just threaten women’s mental well-being or reputation—it puts their lives at risk. Cases like Sana Yousaf and Humera Asghar highlight the deadly consequences when online shaming spirals into offline violence. In a society where a woman’s “honour” is still policed by patriarchal norms, digital abuse can quickly translate into real-world harm.

Even in high-profile legal cases, the judicial system falls short. In the Noor Mukaddam murder case, courts reduced the sentence of her rapist-murderer, citing her “relationship” with the accused as partial justification—despite video evidence showing her trying to escape.

This illustrates how deeply victim-blaming and misogyny are embedded in both the legal system and social mindset.

Policy Vacuum and Institutional Collapse

Pakistan lacks a national strategy for online women’s safety. Cybercrime laws are outdated or poorly enforced, and coordination with platforms like Meta or TikTok is virtually non-existent. While GBV courts exist on paper, survivors face humiliating questions, endless delays, and no guarantee of justice.

Meanwhile, political parties across the spectrum exploit TFGBV as a weapon. Social media troll armies routinely attack women from opposing camps. The targeting is rarely ideological—it’s gendered.

The Culture of Silence

The most dangerous part? Women often face backlash not just from abusers, but from their own families and communities. Many survivors are pressured into silence to “protect family honour.” In this cultural framework, a woman’s consent is irrelevant; her choices are filtered through family reputation.

And disturbingly, internalised misogyny allows even women to become perpetrators of digital abuse. This vicious cycle keeps TFGBV unchecked and culturally tolerated.

A National Emergency, Not a Niche Issue

TFGBV is not merely an extension of online trolling—it is a national socio-political emergency. It restricts women’s access to digital spaces, curtails their voices, and reinforces systemic gender inequality. It is a denial of their rights to safety, dignity, and participation in public life.

The solution lies in decisive, rights-based governance. The state must develop a national strategy for digital safety, update its cybercrime laws with a gender lens, and provide survivor-centric support systems—including legal aid, mental health services, and digital literacy programs.

Platforms like Meta and TikTok must also be pushed to adopt local moderation teams and rapid redress mechanisms.

But beyond technology and law, we need a cultural reckoning—a shift in mindset where digital abuse is seen not as shame on the victim, but a crime by the perpetrator.