Women doctors working in hospitals across Pakistan frequently encounter sexual harassment, violence, and verbal abuse from male colleagues, patients, and their families. Following the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in an Indian hospital, several female medical professionals in Pakistan expressed concerns about their own safety. Many are hesitant to report such incidents due to fear of losing their jobs or social standing, and those who do report are often dismissed or disbelieved.
One doctor, Dr. Nusrat (not her real name), recounted how a young female doctor was filmed in a bathroom by a male colleague who then used the footage to blackmail her. Despite the severity of the situation, the victim refused to file a complaint, fearing the backlash if the video were to be leaked to her family. Although the video was deleted with the help of a police contact, no further legal action was taken. Dr. Aamna (not her real name) shared a similar story of being harassed by a senior doctor, only to have her complaint disregarded by hospital authorities, who questioned her credibility and stated that nothing would change.
The issue is compounded by a lack of accountability and a culture of impunity, says Dr. Summaya Tariq Syed, a police surgeon in Karachi. She described her long career as an ongoing struggle against violence and institutional betrayal, noting an incident in which she was threatened by colleagues who pressured her to alter a post-mortem report.
Women working in hospitals also fear retaliation when reporting harassment, as many hospital committees are composed of individuals close to the perpetrators. Official statistics on assaults against female healthcare workers in Pakistan are scarce, but research suggests widespread abuse. A 2022 report from the US National Institutes of Health found that up to 95% of nurses in Pakistan had experienced workplace violence. Additionally, a study from Lahore indicated that 27% of nurses had been sexually assaulted, while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 69% of nurses and 52% of female doctors reported sexual harassment by colleagues.
Dr. Syed recalled a disturbing 2010 case in which a nurse was raped by three doctors and later attempted suicide. Although no action was taken, Dr. Syed emphasized that silence only empowers the perpetrators. Security concerns are another issue in public hospitals, where intoxicated individuals can easily enter and harass medical staff. Female doctors, like Dr. Saadia (not her real name), report frequent incidents of harassment by patients and visitors under the influence of alcohol or drugs, often with no security personnel available to intervene.
Nurse Elizabeth Thomas (not her real name) noted that many nurses, particularly those from religious minorities, face threats of false blasphemy accusations if they resist harassment. On top of this, women endure long shifts with inadequate facilities, such as the lack of rest areas and accessible toilets, making already difficult working conditions even worse.
Despite requests for comments from local health authorities, there has been no response. Since the murder of the trainee doctor in India, female healthcare workers in Pakistan have become more vigilant about their safety, but many still question whether it is possible to work safely as a doctor in the country.
