Undoing Silence: Barriers to Women’s Rights NGOs Addressing Violence Against Women in Pashtun Society – Psychiatry AI: Real-Time AI Scoping Review

AI Summary

Entrenched patriarchal mindsets and Pashtunwali norms of male honour obstruct NGOs' efforts to prevent and address violence against women among Pashtun communities.
Women's rights NGOs are framed as foreign-driven and culturally threatening, delegitimising their work and severely limiting access to survivors and community support.
Qualitative study in Peshawar, using Walby's patriarchy framework, reveals socio-cultural obstacles that policymakers and practitioners must address to advance Pashtun women's rights.

Violence Against Women. 2026 Jul 8:10778012261468285. doi: 10.1177/10778012261468285. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study explores challenges faced by women’s rights NGOs in preventing violence against women (VAW) among Pashtuns in Pakistan. Using qualitative methods, in-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected 11 participants from five women’s rights NGOs in Peshawar, Pakistan. Guided by Sylvia Walby’s theory of patriarchy, findings show that entrenched patriarchal mindsets and Pashtunwali norms of male honor are major barriers. NGOs’ efforts are often framed as foreign-driven and culturally threatening, limiting their effectiveness. The study offers insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners on socio-cultural obstacles that perpetuate VAW, contributing to a deeper understanding of the factors shaping Pashtun women’s rights and lived realities.

PMID:42416989 | DOI:10.1177/10778012261468285

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