Data shows over 500 men, 700 women file workplace harassment complaints in one year

ISLAMABAD: More than 500 men filed workplace harassment complaints with the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) over the past year, according to official data, highlighting that workplace-related grievances are being raised by employees of all genders.

A total of 1,290 complaints were registered with the ombudsperson’s office during the year. Of these, 521 were filed by men, accounting for around 40% of the overall cases, while women lodged 769 complaints.

The ombudsperson’s office said it had disposed of 1,104 cases during the period.

Among complaints filed by men, the highest number was received at FOSPAH’s Islamabad headquarters, where 231 cases were registered. Punjab accounted for 222 complaints, while the Peshawar office received 42 cases and the Karachi office recorded 24.

The complaints involved a range of workplace-related concerns, including matters linked to paternity leave and other alleged forms of harassment or discrimination.

Women continued to file the larger share of complaints, with 769 cases registered during the year. Islamabad recorded the highest number of complaints from women, with 496 cases filed at the head office. A further 154 complaints were received from Punjab.

FOSPAH is responsible for receiving and deciding complaints under Pakistan’s workplace harassment framework. The figures also indicate a growing willingness among employees to formally approach the ombudsperson’s office over workplace conduct, employment rights and harassment-related concerns.