Our Focus Areas
Rule of Law & Institutional Reforms
Musawi advances reforms in Pakistan’s legal and justice systems to ensure they are people-centered, rights-based, and responsive to evolving constitutional and international standards.
Pakistan ranks 129th out of 142 in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index (2024), with severe challenges in judicial independence, access to justice, and constraints on government powers. Despite 82% of Pakistanis reporting legal issues in the last two years, only 14% sought formal resolution, reflecting widespread mistrust and inaccessibility of the system. Corruption, political interference, and institutional inefficiency persist, with millions of cases backlogged across courts. While efforts have been introduced, Musawi emphasizes the need for foundational reforms that restore integrity, independence, and public trust in the justice system
Gender Justice
We take a feminist, survivor-centered approach to enhance legal protections for women and girls, especially in the context of family law, gender-based violence (“GBV”), and institutional responsiveness.
Pakistan ranks 148th out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, making it the lowest globally in gender equality across health, education, economic participation, and political empowerment. In 2024, over 32,617 GBV cases were reported across Pakistan, including 5,339 rapes and 24, 439 kidnappings or abductions – yet conviction rates remain alarmingly low: just 0.5% for rape, 0.1% for abduction and 1.3% for domestic violence. Despite the existence of progressive laws like the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2016, enforcement remains inconsistent and survivors frequently face delays, insensitive court processes, and stigma. Menstrual health remains a critically neglected dimension of gender equality in Pakistan. An estimated 79% of women lack the products, privacy or facilities needed to manage menstruation hygienically, leading to increased health risks, social stigma and school absenteeism among adolescent girls.
Musawi also addresses discriminatory interpretations of family law that disproportionately harm women, especially in matters of custody and dissolution of marriage. A persistent myth wrongly claims that mothers automatically lose custody of their children upon remarriage, leading to coercion and injustice in family court decisions. Additionally, patriarchal biases within courts and police continue to hinder women’s access to justice. Through legal reform, institutional training, and public awareness, Musawi works to bridge the gap between laws and their implementation, challenge harmful social norms, and build a justice system that survivors can trust and rely on.
Legal Identity, Statelessness & Refugees
Musawi addresses exclusionary laws and practices that affect citizenship, legal identity, and rights of stateless and refugee communities.
Pakistan is home to over 3 million stateless individuals and an estimated 2.8 million Afghan refugees, many of whom lack Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs), barring them from accessing healthcare, education, employment and legal protection. Discriminatory provisions like Section 10 of the Citizenship Act 1951 prevent Pakistani women from passing nationality to foreign spouses, reinforcing gender inequality in citizenship rights. Communities such as unregistered Bengali and Rohingya, face systemic harassment, exclusion, and threats of deportation, while inherited statelessness continues across generations. Musawi advocates for inclusive citizenship laws, gender-equal nationality rights, and legal identity frameworks that fulfill both constitutional guarantees and international obligations.
Youth Engagement & Empowerment
Musawi strengthens youth voices and capabilities by investing in legal education, civic engagement, and participatory reforms.
Pakistan’s youth make up 64% of the population, with 29% aged 15-29 – making it one of the youngest countries in the world. Yet 29% of youth are illiterate, and only 6% have completed more than 12 years of education. 22.8% million children remain out of school, and 57% of youth are neither employed nor actively seeking work. Despite increased awareness and digital activism, youth face barriers to political representation, hindered by economic exclusion and limited institutional pathways. Musawi seeks to bridge this gap by supporting meaningful youth leadership and amplifying their role in shaping democratic, inclusive futures.
Human Rights
Musawi adopts a rights-based approach in all its work, focusing on the protection of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights for marginalized populations across Pakistan. The country’s human rights landscape is marked by repression, systemic abuse, and a rapidly shrinking civic space. As of August 2023, 2,253 cases of enforced disappearances remain unresolved, while extrajudicial killings, torture in custody, and arbitrary detentions persist with impunity. Pakistan is rated “Partly Free” and described as an “electoral autocracy,” with increasing restrictions on media, civil society, and freedom of expression. Religious minorities face forced conversions and discrimination and persons with disabilities are routinely denied equal access to essential services. Musawi works to strengthen legal protections, institutional accountability, and civic resistance,while pushing for the full realization of rights in both policy and practice.
Governance & Sustainable Development
Musawi promotes inclusive governance, legal empowerment, and accountability in institutions aligned with Pakistan’s commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The country currently ranks 137th out of 166 in SDG progress, with eight goals stagnating and three regressing. Nearly 40% of the population (97 million) lives in poverty, and 22.8million children remain out of school. A staggering $60 billion annual financing gap — worsened by $308 billion in national debt — limits public investment, as more than half of the national budget is used for debt servicing. Corruption continues to undermine public trust, with Pakistan placed 135th out of 180 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. Institutions like the National Accountability Bureau are criticized for selective, politicized actions. Musawi works to advance structural reforms, including local government empowerment, gender representation in decision-making, and transparent, rights-based development framework.
Climate Change and WASH
Musawi adopts a holistic and community-centered approach to promote climate justice and ensure equitable access to WASH through understanding the perspective and needs of local communities, in particular marginalized groups. This is embedded in participatory and evidence-based research and impact driven interventions to address multifaceted challenges posed by climate change through informed decision making at all levels.
Pakistan ranks first among the countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2022 due to exceptionally high relative economic losses of $31 billion (including damages and reconstruction) and more than 33 million affected people. The Climate Risk Index 2025 has also placed Pakistan in the list of countries that face continuous threat due to recurring extreme events such as heat waves, floods, etc. Such events leave the marginalized groups more vulnerable as a large portion of the country’s population lacks access to basic services such as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). According to WaterAid Pakistan , more than 21 million people still have no access to basic drinking water, 69 million do not have access to basic sanitation, and 42 million do not have access to basic hygiene facilities.
To address the challenges faced by local communities, in particular marginalized groups, our interventions under the Climate Change and WASH portfolio have contributed to various cross-cutting themes, including youth empowerment and advocacy for climate justice to honor global climate commitments and support climate adaptation and mitigation in the region; research on water sector reforms and use of digital technology to ensure sustainable and equitable access to safe water; development of a draft model law for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) on groundwater resource management to effectively control water scarcity as a result of changing weather patterns and irrational/unmonitored human consumption; advocacy for legal and policy interventions on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) through comprehensive review of legal and policy gaps in MHM at national and provincial level to ensure equitable access to WASH; and the disproportionate impact of natural disasters such as outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups such as women, children and stateless persons.
Our Impact & Stories
Transforming Systems, Empowering People
At Musawi, impact means measurable change in how laws are written, how rights are understood, and how justice is delivered—especially to the most marginalized.
Women Accessing Justice
Marriage Rights Helpline (1413):
Since 2022, we have provided legal support to over 685 women across Pakistan on issues including domestic violence, maintenance, child marriage, and custody.
“When I was abandoned by my husband, Musawi’s helpline helped me understand my right to claim maintenance and keep custody of my child.” – Anonymous client, Bahawalpur
Strategic Litigation:
Filed landmark public interest petitions challenging state practices that strip married women of their identity by forcing replacement of their father’s name with their husband’s name on official documents.
Amicus Curiae:
Musawi’s legal team is increasingly recognized by Pakistan’s superior judiciary for its expertise in gender justice and constitutional law and are appointed as Amicus Curiae in a number of important cases dealing with constitutional rights of marginalized groups, in particular women and children.
Our Research Cited in Courtrooms
Our research has been recognized by Pakistan’s judiciary:
- The Supreme Court of Pakistan cited Musawi’s Diagnostic Study on Nikkahnamas in its judgments
- Muhammad Yousaf vs. Huma Saeed (2023) stating that ambiguities in the Nikahnama should be interpreted in favor of women’s rights
- Muhammad Sajid vs. Mst Shamsa Asghar (2025) stating all property given to the bride as dowry, gifts or presents shall vest absolutely in the bride
Gender-Sensitive Policing
With USIP and Punjab Police, we developed the Victim Vulnerability Assessment Framework and trained over 1,700 female recruits and 36 transgender officers.
“The trauma-informed approach changed how I respond to survivors. Now I listen, not just record.” – Police Officer, Punjab Training College
Citizen-Centric Justice
In KP, we helped institutionalize Khuli Katcheri (open forums) for citizens to register complaints with prosecutors directly—now functioning across multiple districts.
Integrated with a formal complaint-tracking mechanism to promote transparency and redress.