Addressing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence among University Students in Pakistan

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global public health crisis, with one in three women and girls experiencing intimate partner violence or non-partner physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. As society becomes increasingly reliant on digital technology, GBV has shifted into the digital realm through technology-facilitated GBV (TFGBV)—any form of sexual violence, exploitation, or harassment enacted through digital technologies. TFGBV is particularly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially among populations with marginalized identities, and carries significant health, social, and economic consequences, including mental health disorders, social isolation, and, in honor-based cultures like Pakistan's, can lead to reputational harm to families and even honor killings. 

This project aims to develop and pilot a culturally relevant prevention intervention for TFGBV among university students in Pakistan. Building on preliminary findings from a seed grant supported by the Center for Global Health Equity that revealed an alarming 60% prevalence of TFGBV among university students in Karachi—with perpetrators most commonly being classmates, roommates, or unknown individuals rather than romantic partners—the project will employ a rigorous co-design process and human-centered design principles to engage key stakeholders, including students, university administration, NGO partners, and technical experts, in collaboratively developing a culturally grounded and contextually appropriate prevention intervention that addresses the unique challenges faced by Pakistani university students in digital spaces. Through two comprehensive five-day co-design workshops, participants will explore the scope and nature of TFGBV, identify barriers and facilitators, and develop intervention strategies focused on prevention and mitigation. The resulting intervention will then be piloted with 200 university students at Aga Khan University, focusing on enhancing digital literacy, expanding knowledge of TFGBV, and fostering proactive digital safety behaviors. 

Expected outcomes include a culturally relevant, evidence-based intervention co-designed with community stakeholders; feasibility and acceptability data from the pilot study measuring changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to digital safety and TFGBV; qualitative insights to refine the intervention; and preliminary data to support an NIH R01 proposal for larger-scale efficacy evaluation. The project seeks to contribute to health equity by preventing TFGBV and its associated mental and physical health consequences, empowering university students to create safer digital environments, informing policy and guideline development, and ultimately promoting a culture of respect, awareness, and support that can be scaled across diverse university settings in Pakistan and globally.