Women in Pakistan suffer an alarmingly high rate of domestic violence. The United States Institute of Peace  estimates that 28% of women in Pakistan face some kind of physical violence in their lives before the age of 50. Because of the constant threat of violence against women, many women have to labor as domestic workers and often receive little to no wages as a result.

Women account for 49% of the Pakistani population but receive only 18% of its labor income according to the USIP. The Pakistani government often denies legal protection and social security to women of low social classes, particularly home-based workers. The crisis of women’s rights in Pakistan is especially evident in environments like education and health care, where women cannot access social protections and face threats of violence

Women in Pakistan have not been silent in recent years about the injustices against them. In 2018 Pakistani women held the Aurat March on International Women’s Day. Thousands of women rallied across Pakistan to demand an end to the gender-based violence that has been sweeping Pakistan for decades USIP reported. The march became an annual tradition and women have gathered to collectively use their voices and fight against gender and class-based oppression for the most recent four International Women’s Days.