THE world is angry and in most places, women bear the brunt of this anger. This International Women`s Day, the latest report by UN Women states that one in four countries in the world reported a backlash on gender rights in 2024. Over the past decade, the number of women living in conflict zones has surged by 50 per cent, while women`s rights defenders face daily threats, violence, and even death. In the US, the backlash has taken the form of laws restricting reproductive healthcare and banning diversity and equality programmes that could enhance women`s representation. In India, violence against women has risen from 56.3 cases per 100,000 women in 2014 to 66.4 in 2022.

Unsurprisingly, the numbers from Pakistan ranked second to last in the Gender Gap Index 2024, just above Sudan are dismal. A 2024 report by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) reveals that while globally 30pc of women face violence, in Pakistan, 90pc of women have experienced violence in their lifetime. This statistic alone highlights how dire the situation is for Pakistani women compared to the rest of the world. While laws exist, enforcement is weak, and access to justice is poor. As a result, only a miniscule percentage of women seek justice when raped, assaulted, or harassed. The cumulative impact of gender-based violence leads to an estimated 80 million lost working days annually.

Even keeping in mind that crimes against women are severely underreported, the numbers remain alarming. According to SSDO, 5,339 rape cases were reported in Pakistan in 2024.

Given the social and cultural taboos against reporting rape, the actual figures are likely at least twice as high if not more. This illustrates the constant and unrelenting threat of sexual violence for any woman in Pakistan. Whether inside their homes or outside, women remain at risk. The fact that only 0.5pc of reported rape cases lead to prosecution means that for victims, justice is nearly impossible. Worse still, those who do attempt to seek justice face structural discrimination, where evidence is not properly collected or analysed, and cases are dismissed due to a `lack of evidence`. The victim, rather than the perpetrator, suffers immense social andcultural condemnation.

Then there are the millions of smaller aggressions and indignities that Pakistani women face from the throngs of frustrated and angry men that surround them. These include fathers, brothers, and husbands but also relative strangers men on the road if you are a female driver, fellow students, work colleagues all add to the mess.

A woman who shines at work faces resentment from men who may have been passed up for promotions and have no qualms against disparaging her. In other cases, just the daily oppression ofmen cracking lewd jokes, married bosses making passes, male colleagues leaving women out of meetings, and other micro aggressions generally make women`s lives miserable.

Pakistan`s consistently dismal ranking 145 out 146 countries in gender parity reflects deeprooted structural inequalities. Despite more women in urban areas obtaining advanced degrees, including in STEM fields such as engineering and medicine, few enter the workforce and even fewer remain. This results in a society still trapped in cycles of economic dependence, where women rely on male guardians or live marginalised and isolated lives. There are many women in Pakistan who have to fend for themselves and their children, but their stories are almost never at the centre, and they and their experiences remain at the periphery. Men treat them poorly, and other women see them as threats, making life a living hell for them. Instead of providing state-supported networks to empower them, men are encouraged to marry them as an act of charity, as if they are lesser human beings whodo not deserve respect and equal relationships.

The future being left to the next generation of Pakistani women Gen Z is neither warm nor welcoming. The rigidity of government institutions and the impasse between conservative edicts and superficially progressive policies mean that no substantial change occurs. As a result, Pakistan remains an outlier, ranked at the bottom, because its smug and self-satisfied men mock events like the Aurat March while never taking steps to improve the lives of women. It is undoubted that men in Pakistan have their own problems, but having one`s own issues does not outlaw kindness and consideration. A patriarchal society turns dangerous when its men genuinely hate women -respecting them only when forced to by social or familial relations and disrespecting them all the rest of the time when they are able to get away with it. At workplaces, in homes, on the streets, and on the media, the pervasive disdain for women is evident.

Political leaders rarely prioritise gender-based violence, treating it as an unfortunate reality rather than a crisis that demands urgent attention.

The hostility is not just structural; it is also psychological. The resentment that many Pakistani men feel towards women who succeed, who demand their rights, or who refuse to submit, is palpable. This resentment manifests in online abuse, with women journalists, activists, and politicians routinely facing threats of violence and harassment simply for expressing their opinions. The anonymity of the internet has only emboldened these attitudes, allowing misogyny to flourish unchecked.

Pakistan in 2025 stands at this juncture, the second worst country among all nations in our man-hating world. It is a place where a woman`s rights are conditional granted only when convenient and taken away the moment they challenge the status quo. Without a fundamental shift in societal attitudes, the country will continue to languish at the bottom of global gender equality rankings, offering little hope to the millions of women who deserve better.

The writer is an attomey teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.

rafia.zakaria@gmail.com