Men are increasingly reporting workplace harassment in Pakistan, with official records revealing that 521 men lodged complaints with the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment (FOSPAH) over the past year. According to official documents obtained by The Express Tribune, a total of 1,290 workplace harassment complaints were filed with FOSPAH during the year, of which 521 (around 40%) were submitted by men, while 769 were lodged by women.
Regional Breakdown of Male Complainants
The documents show that Islamabad recorded the highest number of complaints from male complainants, with 231 cases, followed by Punjab with 222. Peshawar reported 42 cases, Karachi 24, and Balochistan two. Among female complainants, 496 cases were registered in Islamabad, while 154 complaints were filed in Punjab, making these the two regions with the highest number of workplace harassment cases.
High Disposal Rate and Awareness Efforts
The data further reveals that FOSPAH disposed of 1,104 of the 1,290 complaints received during the reporting period. FOSPAH officials told The Express Tribune that the comparatively higher number of complaints from Islamabad reflects greater public awareness of the legal mechanism available to victims of workplace harassment. The officials said that under the leadership of Federal Ombudsperson Fauzia Waqar, FOSPAH has continued nationwide awareness campaigns to inform employees of their legal rights and encourage victims of harassment—including women, men and transgender persons—to seek legal redress through the institution.
