Pakistan and Thailand exchange expertise on ending violence against women
Date:
From 19 to 23 January 2026, UN Women organized an exchange visit on integrated and gender-responsive gender-based violence (GBV) services, with support from the European Union (EU) under the Deliver Justice Project, bringing a delegation from Pakistan to Thailand to strengthen learning, dialogue and South-South cooperation on coordinated responses to violence against women and girls.
The visit brought together government officials, law enforcement representatives, health professionals and civil society actors from Pakistan, alongside UN Women teams from Pakistan, Thailand and the Asia-Pacific Regional Office (ROAP). Over five days, participants engaged with Thailand’s multisectoral approach to GBV response while sharing experiences from Pakistan’s own efforts to strengthen coordination, accountability and survivor-centred services.
“South-South cooperation allows us to learn from each other in ways that are practical, grounded, and relevant,” said Fahmida Iqbal, Deputy Country Representative of UN Women Pakistan. “This exchange is about adapting good practices, exchanging knowledge, bringing best practices to national contexts and strengthening our systems while keeping survivors at the centre of our work.”
The exchange opened with an orientation workshop in Bangkok, setting the foundation for peer learning and mutual exchange. Participants discussed regional trends on ending violence against women, national response frameworks and the importance of integrated services that place survivors at the centre.
A core focus of the visit was Thailand’s experience with integrated service-delivery, including coordination between social welfare, health, justice and law enforcement actors. At the same time, the exchange created space for Pakistan’s delegation to share lessons from their own work, including provincial coordination mechanisms, institutional reforms and approaches to strengthening service-delivery across sectors.
The first day of the programme featured a presentation on regional efforts to address violence against women, including a session under the Protection of the Rights of Women and Children in Labour Migration (PROTECT) project, also supported by the European Union. The presentation highlighted experiences from Thailand in responding to violence against women migrant workers and underscored the importance of coordinated, gender-responsive services for women facing cross-border and labour-related risks.
“Thailand’s experience shows the importance of coordination across institutions, but these exchanges also allow us to reflect on our own approaches,” said Somchai Yensabai, Country Programme Coordinator at UN Women Thailand. “Learning alongside colleagues from Pakistan strengthens our understanding and reinforces that effective responses are built through collaboration.”
Throughout the visit, participants engaged in open dialogue on government leadership, partnerships with women-led civil society organizations and the practical steps needed to strengthen integrated GBV services.
“This visit showed us that coordinated services are not just about systems and structures, but about people working together with a shared sense of responsibility,” said Hassan Asad Alvi, Deputy Inspector General, Balochistan. “Learning directly from Thailand’s experience, while also sharing our own realities from Pakistan, helped us see what is possible when institutions communicate, trust each other and put survivors first. These exchanges give us practical ideas we can take home and adapt to strengthen our response on the ground.”
The exchange visit strengthened networks between institutions and practitioners from Pakistan and Thailand, laying the groundwork for continued dialogue and cooperation. Insights shared throughout the week will inform ongoing efforts to strengthen integrated, gender-responsive GBV services in both countries.