The Department of Sociology at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan hosted a one-day national seminar at the IBL Hall, Garden Campus on 5 December 2025 as part of the global 16 Days of Activism campaign. The event focused on raising awareness about digital violence and strengthening institutional responses to gender-based harm online and offline.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Azam Khan, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, attended as chief guest and offered opening remarks while welcoming the guest speakers. The seminar featured a distinguished panel including Dr. Minhas Majeed Khan, Chairperson International Relations at the University of Peshawar and member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women; Dr. Riffat Sardar, former chairperson of the same commission; Ms. Saima Munir, Program Manager at Aurat Foundation; Mr. Muhammad Zakriya, Program Manager at UNFPA; Dr. Rabia, Ombudsperson KP; Ms. Shabina Gulzar, Team Lead at the British Council Pakistan; and Mr. Ikram Ullah Khan, Principal Research Officer at the Center of Excellence for CVE-KP.
An empirical research study on digital violence against women and girls was presented by Dr. Noor Jehan, Associate Professor of Economics at AWKUM, providing evidence-based findings to inform policy and campus-level interventions. Speakers linked the research to practical steps institutions and civil society can take to prevent abuse and support survivors.
Dr. Hussain Ali served as the chief organizer of the seminar. The event was attended by university officials including Dr. Tariq Mehmood, Director ORIC, and Dr. Ahmad Ali, Chairperson of Sociology, alongside male and female faculty members and more than 165 students from various departments.
The seminar sought to promote academic dialogue, public awareness and institutional responsibility in addressing digital violence and broader gender-based violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Dr. Ahmad Ali delivered closing remarks and expressed gratitude to the speakers and participants, and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Azam Khan presented shields to the guest speakers in recognition of their contributions.
Participants emphasized that tackling digital violence requires coordinated action from universities, government bodies and civil society so that research, policy and practice work together to improve safety and accountability for women and girls online and offline.
