Women’s access to justice in Pakistan: Challenges and policy recommendations

Abstract

Access to justice is defined as people’s ability to access judicial institutions. Women suffer more when accessing these institutions. In Pakistan, women’s rights remain a critical issue of gender equality. This study analyzes Pakistan’s efforts in promoting and implementing its constitutional and international human rights obligations. This study reveals that laws exist on paper to promote women’s rights, but their implementation is hindered by multifaceted barriers. This qualitative research study adopts a critical discourse analysis approach to analyze Pakistan’s efforts in promoting women’s access to justice and feminist legal theory as a theoretical framework. This research argues that women continue to encounter various barriers in accessing and effectively utilizing justice mechanisms despite contemporary constitutional and legislative reforms in Pakistan. The findings reveal that patriarchy, poverty, gender inequality, economic interdependence, gender stereotypes, judicial delays, and gender bias continue to restrict women’s effective access to justice. It suggests that improving women’s legal status and access to justice requires an integrated approach combining effective implementation of existing laws, legal literacy, women's empowerment, and institutional accountability. This underscores the importance of an integrated approach to effectively address the issue. Pakistan can become a more equitable society where women’s rights are fully realized and protected by addressing socio-cultural norms, gender inequality, and inadequate implementation issues.