ISLAMBAD (Dunya News) – A new Gender Tracker system is being developed to monitor online harassment of women and the unauthorised use of their photographs and videos, officials said on Wednesday.
The system is part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening mechanisms for addressing gender-based violence and improving access to support and legal assistance for women.
During a committee meeting chaired by Nafisa Shah, acting chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women, Noreen Bano briefed participants on ongoing initiatives to improve the commission’s complaint-handling system.
According to the briefing, a baseline survey is currently being conducted across all four provinces to assess and improve the existing complaints mechanism. Authorities are also working to make the system more accessible by introducing services in Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and other languages.
The meeting was informed that a specialised portal and digital dashboard for gender-based violence have been developed and are expected to be launched soon.
The National Gender Dashboard will use 115 indicators to assess and monitor the situation of women across different areas, providing data that can be used to identify gaps and track progress.
The commission is also considering engaging women lawyers in each province to provide legal assistance to women seeking help through the complaints system.
Officials said reports have been sought from all provincial police chiefs to obtain timely and comprehensive data on cases involving crimes against women. The information is expected to support the preparation of the National Gender Equality Report and improve the availability of gender-related statistics.
The briefing also covered plans for a Women Facilitation Centre, which is targeted for completion in 2027. The proposed centre is intended to bring several public services under one roof, including assistance related to NADRA, passports, healthcare, counselling and judicial matters.
The planned digital initiatives are aimed at improving monitoring, data collection and access to support services, while the proposed Gender Tracker would focus specifically on emerging forms of online harassment and the misuse of women’s digital content.
Authorities said work on the gender dashboard and equality report is continuing, with further details expected when the new systems are formally launched.