The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), an institution established to safeguard women’s rights in Pakistan, now finds itself at the center of a deeply troubling controversy. Allegations have emerged that a former female employee was publicly defamed, harassed, and emotionally tormented not by an outsider, but from within the very system created to protect her.
This disturbing story unfolded after the conclusion of a UNICEF supported project under the NCSW. A female staff member, acting upon her senior’s instruction, reached out to journalists via email as part of a fellowship program that was still under consideration for extension. The email formally requested CVs from interested journalists as a standard professional step.
However, this email became a weapon in a calculated defamation campaign. A male colleague, fearing for his own position, took a screenshot of the email and posted it on Facebook and LinkedIn (share screenshot along) falsely labeling the woman as a fraud. The post included her personal email and confidential details, an outright violation of her privacy and digital rights.
Even more alarming, the NCSW administration reportedly failed to take any meaningful action. Instead of supporting the woman and condemning the clear breach of ethics, the institution remained silent and, in some cases, appeared to side with the defamer.
In her own words, the affected woman stated:
” I gave my best and worked sincerely with this institution, working with dedication and honesty. One person decided I was a threat, and instead of addressing the issue, the system allowed my name and dignity to be dragged through the mud without any official inquiry or procedure.* ”
She further added that she still has all the evidence proving her innocence, including instructions from UNICEF officials, emails, and official correspondence. Despite this, the defamatory post remains online, and those who commented in her support on social media found their comments deleted.
” “I have been waiting for the clarification and inquiry report for over a month now. It is extremely difficult to continue working in the development sector or with journalists when reputation is everything. NCSW and UNICEF are my parent organizations, and I genuinely do not want to take any serious step just to prove my integrity and good intentions,” she said .
An internal inquiry committee was reportedly formed; however, to this day, no report has been published. The defamatory content remains publicly accessible, with only minor wording changes made to the original posts. Instead of receiving support or clarification, the former employee alleges she was pressured into silence by senior authorities within the Commission.
The Commission’s current leadership has yet to issue a statement. Attempts to reach both the NCSW Chairperson and UNICEF representatives were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
The former employee has announced her intention to seek legal recourse, stating:
” I will move forward for legal action , not just for myself, but to expose how women are being silenced, harassed, and targeted inside women institutions that were created to protect them.”
A heartfelt appeal is being made to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and ministry of human rights to personally investigate this case and ensure that the NCSW lives up to its founding principles of dignity, equality, and justice for all women.
This is no longer just one woman’s battle it is a test of Pakistan’s commitment to the rights and respect of every woman in the country.
