Policy Dialogue held to Strengthen Implementation of Domestic Violence Act 2013

Press Release
For Immediate Release

Policy Dialogue held to Strengthen Implementation of Domestic Violence Act 2013

Provincial Policy Dialogue organized by the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW) in collaboration with the Legal Aid Society (LAS) under the Aawaz II Programme, implemented by CARE International with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), in Karachi.

The dialogue brought together key policymakers, parliamentarians, government officials, civil society actors, and representatives of marginalized communities.

A policy paper titled “Implementing the Sindh Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2013: From Law to Protection” outlined urgent reforms, including legislative amendments, stronger institutional coordination, improved FIR procedures, better referral systems, capacity-building of justice actors, and increased investment in protection services.

Advocate Maliha Zia from Legal Aid Society presented a Domestic Violence Protection Blueprint, proposing strengthened One-Stop Protection Centres, improved policing systems, functional district protection mechanisms, and coordinated service delivery.

Chairperson SCSW, Advocate Rubina Aman Brohi, thanked all participants for their valuable input and emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts to effectively address domestic violence. She highlighted the Commission’s ongoing awareness campaign, “Know Your Laws, Know Your Rights,” being implemented at the grassroots level from Tharparkar to Shaheed Benazirabad to ensure women are informed about their legal rights. She stressed the need to move beyond isolated efforts toward collective and coordinated action for meaningful impact.
Chairperson Sindh Commission on the Status of Women , Ms. Rubina Aman Brohi, appreciates the efforts of Sindh government by passing of the domestic violence Act but the law has not been implemented “in its true spirit” over the past 13 years and called for amendments in Act which have been proposed by the women Commission, WDD and other CSOs, need reforms emphasizing expansion of protection centres, completions of One stop protection centres (OSPCs) in all districts, strengthening women police stations , increasing budgets for awareness, and empowering rural women.

In her concluding remarks, Provincial Minister Shaheena Sher Ali said that legal awareness is not reaching rural and marginalized communities, particularly due to the absence of laws in Urdu and Sindhi. She proposed using Lady Health Visitors for door-to-door awareness and emphasized that empowering girls remains key to preventing domestic violence. She said the the sindh commission on the status of women and WDD will work together for the women of Sindh.
The policy dialogue concluded with a shared commitment among stakeholders to strengthen coordination, enhance legal protections, and ensure effective monitoring and implementation of the laws to safeguard women across Sindh.