Workplace harassment — a major threat for women belonging to minority communities.

Women often face gender-based harassment at the workplace — whether in offices, factories, or commercial institutions — but when the woman belongs to a religious minority, the nature of harassment changes significantly. In such cases, the consequences of harassment can endanger not only the woman but also her family.A major example of this is Tabita Gill from Karachi. Tabita belongs to the Christian community and is a nurse by profession. On a morning in January 2021, while she was performing her duties at a hospital in Karachi as usual, some of her female colleagues violently assaulted her. During the incident, videos were also recorded using mobile phones, which later went viral on social media.In the clips, Tabita can be seen sitting on a bench in the hospital while several women beat her with shoes, fists, and slaps, demanding that she write a statement promising never to say anything blasphemous again. A case was registered against Tabita Gill on January 29, 2021, at Aram Bagh police station under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code. However, the videos showing her assault were already circulating online on January 28 — indicating that she was attacked a day or two before the FIR was filed.After being physically assaulted, Tabita not only had to leave her job at the hospital but was also forced to flee the country to save her life.

In Faisalabad, two nurses also faced similar harassment. Maryam Lal and Urooj Nosheen were both on duty at a hospital when an employee of the hospital attacked them, accusing them of disrespecting sacred verses. Other hospital staff intervened and managed to save the nurses, but as the news spread, members of religious groups gathered outside the hospital, surrounded it, and the nurses were held inside for about five to six hours. Eventually, the Civil Lines Police registered a case against them under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code and took them into custody.These nurses, too, were forced to leave both their jobs and the country to save their lives. Workplace harassment is a major issue for women belonging to minority communities, preventing them from working freely and forcing them to perform their duties under constant fear. zamurd Gill, who belongs to the Christian community and works as a schoolteacher, says that while she fears harassment as a woman, she is especially afraid as a minority, worrying that any such incident could cause serious problems for her family. Rubina Sajad, a nurse at a private hospital, says that the incidents involving nurses in Karachi and Faisalabad have left her distressed and fearful.
Advocate Shazia Bhatti states that the kind of harassment faced by minority women is extremely alarming. She emphasizes that special legislation is needed to provide workplace protection for women from religious minority communities.