Progressive Laws in Patriarchal Societies: Lessons from Pakistan

Over the past two decades, Pakistan has introduced significant legislative reforms addressing gender-based violence. In Progressive Laws in Patriarchal Societies (Bloomsbury Publishing), Pakistani lawyer Sara Malkani examines the effects of these reforms and the existing challenges that continue to limit their impact. Drawing on a wealth of court cases, criminal proceedings data, and interviews with activists and survivors, Malkani explores the gap between this new progressive legislation and the actual realities faced by women and girls, highlighting how entrenched social norms and institutional shortcomings within the criminal justice system continue to influence the success of these laws and their implementation.