Pakistan minority women and girls face widespread persecution

A report has highlighted widespread gender- and religion-based persecution of minority women and girls in Pakistan. According to analysis by journalist Uzay Bulut, victims face abductions, forced religious conversions, forced marriages, sexual violence, acid attacks, and honour killings. Many minority women also remain vulnerable to sexual exploitation within debt-bonded labour, specifically at brick kilns.

Citing the ‘Stolen Girls’ report presented by the Jubilee Campaign to the European Parliament, documentation revealed 210 cases of abduction, forced conversion, child marriage, and sexual violence against Christian and other minority girls between 2019 and 2025. The report noted that documented victims had an average age of 12.8 years.

Legal and political mechanisms for international sanctions remain available to address these abuses. Frameworks in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union allow for targeted measures, such as freezing assets or imposing travel bans on specific officials, judges, or police commanders. Additionally, the European Union monitors human rights compliance under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which could lead to the suspension of trade preferences if violations continue.