PAKISTAN’S digital transformation is creating new opportunities for women, but it is also exposing them to new forms of harm. Cyber harassment, stalking, impersonation, blackmail and deepfake abuse are no longer isolated incidents on the margins of the internet. They are now shaping who feels safe speaking, working, campaigning, learning and participating in public life. That makes cyber violence against women not only a social problem, but also a governance and security issue.

The scale of the problem is already visible. According to UNDP Pakistan, in 2024 eight million new female users came online, but the country also recorded 135,000 cybercrime complaints, while only 826 cases proceeded to prosecution — just 0.6 percent. That gap matters. A digital space that expands access without ensuring protection does not produce empowerment; it produces vulnerability. For women, that vulnerability often translates into self-censorship, withdrawal from platforms and reduced participation in........

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