Workplace harassment as a concept embodies a pattern of persistent mistreatment based on gender and power. It is deeply intertwined with institutional culture and can function as a mechanism of exclusion, discouraging individuals, particularly women, from fully participating in professional and economic life. Understanding workplace harassment therefore requires looking beyond isolated incidents of inappropriate conduct and examining the power structures and discriminatory practices that enable such behaviour.
This broader understanding of harassment is reflected in the work of feminist legal scholar Catherine MacKinnon, who reframed sexual harassment not merely as individual misconduct but as a manifestation of systemic sex-based discrimination that reinforces gender hierarchies in the workplace. MacKinnon identified two principal forms of sexual harassment. The first, commonly described as quid pro quo harassment, involves direct coercion, where employment-related benefits or consequences are conditioned upon compliance with sexual demands. The second, a hostile work environment, arises where unwelcome sexual conduct creates an intimidating environment that interferes with an individual’s ability to work. Although hostile-environment harassment may be less explicit than quid pro quo coercion, its consequences can be equally damaging because it transforms the workplace itself into a space of intimidation and exclusion.
The distinction drawn above is particularly useful in understanding the evolution of Pakistani law. Both forms of harassment are rooted in unequal power relations and gender-based discrimination, while their effects extend beyond the immediate interaction between the harasser and complainant. Harassment can restrict access to employment opportunities and deprive individuals of the ability to work with dignity and equality. In this sense, workplace harassment engages the constitutional commitment to equality under Article 25 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, as well as the broader constitutional protection of dignity and fundamental rights.
The latest figures released by the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) offer an important opportunity to reassess how workplace harassment is understood in Pakistan. Over the past year, the Ombudsperson has received 1,290 complaints, out of which 769 were filed by women and 521 by men. While these numbers reaffirm that women continue to constitute the majority of complaints, they also underscore a notable development: nearly two out of every five complaints were lodged by men. This marks a significant departure from the long-held perception that workplace harassment is solely a women’s issue.
The emergence of a substantive number of male complainants should not, however, be interpreted as evidence that harassment affects men and women equally, nor should it diminish the gendered realities of workplace violence. Women continue to constitute approximately sixty percent of all reported cases, reflecting their disproportionate exposure to sexual harassment and abuses of authority in professional spaces. At the same time, the data suggests that workplace harassment is a broader occupational and human rights issue that can affect individuals across genders, although often in different forms and with different consequences. This is consistent with the post-2022 legal framework, which no longer limits the protection of the law to women.
Equally significant is what these figures suggest about evolving attitudes towards reporting workplace harassment. In Pakistan, such misconduct has long remained under-reported. For decades, the decision to report workplace harassment has carried considerable personal and professional risk. Fear of retaliation, social ostracism, damage to one’s reputation, and skepticism towards complainants have often discouraged victims from coming forward. These concerns have also been particularly acute for men, who have frequently been constrained by deeply entrenched notions of masculinity that equate victimhood with weakness. In this context, the willingness of a growing number of people to invoke the protections afforded by law may indicate that formal complaint mechanisms are increasingly being perceived as credible and capable of providing meaningful redress. Although the statistics alone cannot conclusively establish changes in public attitudes, they provide a compelling indication that societal perceptions of reporting and accountability may be evolving.
The legal framework itself has undergone a significant transformation. Although the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, was originally enacted to address the widespread harassment faced by women in employment, subsequent legislative amendments and judicial interpretation have broadened its protective scope. In Uzma Naveed Chaudhry v. Federation of Pakistan (PLD 2022 SC 783), the Supreme Court of Pakistan observed that the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Act, 2022, replaced the expression “man or woman” with “any person”, in the definition of complainant, making it clear that the law extends protection to male, female and transgender persons alike. The Court recognised that this inclusive approach reflects the constitutional values of dignity and equality. It also affirmed that workplace harassment cannot only be viewed as an issue of inappropriate conduct. Rather, it is intrinsically connected to the fundamental right to work, as harassment in any form deprives individuals of a safe and equitable working environment. Such expanded understanding was further reflected in Muhammad Din v. Province of Punjab (PLD 2025 SC 354), where the Supreme Court of Pakistan observed that the 2022 Amendment also broadened the definition of “workplace” to encompass any location where professional services are rendered, including educational institutions, studios and courts. The Court further noted that the amended definition of harassment expressly incorporates gender-based discrimination, whether sexual in nature or not, where it stems from a prejudicial mindset and results in discriminatory behaviour. Taken together, these developments demonstrate a significant shift in Pakistani law; workplace harassment is no longer confined to sexual harassment occurring within a conventional office environment, but encompasses a broader register of discriminatory conduct occurring across diverse professional spaces and affecting individuals regardless of gender.
The geographical distribution of complaints provides another important insight. Islamabad accounted for the highest number of complaints from both male and female complainants. FOSPAH attributes this concentration not necessarily to higher levels of workplace harassment but to greater public awareness of the available legal remedies. This distinction is important. Complaint statistics do not always measure the prevalence of harassment but sometimes reflect the willingness and ability of victims to report it. Higher reporting rates may therefore reflect stronger institutional outreach and better accessibility. At the same time, lower numbers in other provinces may point to gaps in awareness, weaker implementation mechanisms, or persistent social barriers that discourage victims from coming forward. The disposal of 1,104 out of 1,290 complaints further indicates that the Ombudsperson’s office is actively processing cases rather than allowing a substantial backlog to accumulate.
The real significance of these figures therefore lies not merely in the number of complaints filed but in what they reveal about the changing relationship between society and the workplace. A legal framework that is increasingly accessible to everyone represents an important step towards recognising that each employee is entitled to dignity at work. Yet legislation alone cannot transform workplace culture. Meaningful progress will inevitably depend on employers treating compliance as more than a statutory obligation, institutions responding consistently and fairly to complaints, and society rejecting the notion that harassment is an inevitable part of professional life. It will also require greater awareness that harassment is not merely a matter of individual morality or inappropriate behaviour, but a broader issue implicating equality and equal access to employment. If these developments continue, Pakistan’s workplace harassment regime has the potential to evolve from a reactive system of individual redress into a more proactive framework of institutional accountability.
Bibliography
Case Law
Iqbal Pervaiz v Government of Balochistan (PLD 2018 Balochistan 107)
Muhammad Azhar Khan v Province of Punjab (2022 PLC (C.S.) 736)
Muhammad Din v Province of Punjab (PLD 2025 SC 354)
Nadia Naz v the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (PLD 2023 SC 588)
Sher Bahadar v President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (2024 PLC (C.S.) 1006)
Uzma Naveed Chaudhry v Federation of Pakistan (PLD 2022 SC 783)
Legislation
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973
Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010
Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Act, 2022
Books and Articles
MacKinnon CA, Sexual Harassment of Working Women: A Case of Sex Discrimination (Yale University Press 1979).
Mahmood F, “Men Break Silence on Workplace Harassment” The Express Tribune (July 3, 2026) <https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616369/men-break-silence-on-workplace-harassment>
