Exploring Gender Justice through the Lens of Islamic Relief Pakistan

Despite many advances in the modern world, 1 in 5 women are still victims of violence. This is why number 5 of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is gender equality, which seeks to empower and enhance the well-being of all women and girls. This study aims to examine SDG 5 in the Pakistani context. Despite many studies focusing on the factors and causes relating to violence against women in Pakistan, what is missing is an analysis of the many non-governmental organizations which work towards alleviating these deep-seated issues including emotional violence against women. This thesis examines the particular case of Islamic Relief Pakistan (IRP) - one of the oldest and reputable non-governmental organizations operating in Islamabad, Pakistan. This thesis explores how gender justice for widows is achieved through the policy of Islamic Relief, particularly examining their Empowerment Widows in Need (EWIN) program. It has two aims: first, to analyze IRP’s EWIN project in the context of other IRP programs and how they operate; and second, to explore the challenges and struggles of the EWIN program in promoting gender justice. This is a qualitative study based on an extensive review of IRP and UN reports and in-depth, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with the staff and beneficiaries of IRP. This thesis argues that IRP through their EWIN program holistically empowers widows by assisting them to exercise their agency by carefully navigating the constraints of their patriarchal society.