ISLAMABAD: Over 63,367 cases of gender-based crimes were reported, 3,987 women were killed and more than 10,500 women became victims of sexual violence during the last three years in Pakistan.

According to media reports, a sharp increase in cases of violence against women has been witnessed, particularly sexual assault, across the country during the last three years.

In 2019 alone, 25,389 incidents against women were reported, while in 2020, 23,789 cases of abuse and other crimes, including rape, came to the fore.

In 2021, 14,189 cases were registered.

According to statistics, over 3,987 women were murdered across the country from 2019 to 2021, while 10,517 cases of rape against women were registered.

During the same period, 643 cases of gang rape of women took place and 5,171 cases of torture against women were registered. Besides, 1,025 women were killed in the name of honour while 103 cases of acid attacks took place.

Another 38 cases of burns due to the explosion of stoves were recorded and 41,513 women were abducted.

It is pertinent to note that the ‘stove deaths’ are often borne of a long history of domestic abuse and violence and are later portrayed as incidents of “self-immolation”. Burn injuries are passed off as stove burns or accidents at the hospital. At the end, the accident is taken at face value and is not investigated thoroughly.