Impact Assessment of the Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC) in Multan, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54938/ijemdss.2026.05.2.694Keywords:
Violence against women, gender-based violence, one-stop centre, survivor empowerment, PakistanAbstract
Violence against women (VAW) remains a critical public health and human rights issue in Pakistan, where survivors often face fragmented institutional support. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC) in Multan, Pakistan's first integrated one-stop centre providing medical, legal, psychological, and protection services. A mixed-methods approach was employed using administrative records and a survey of 349 beneficiaries selected from 14,497 women who accessed VAWC services between 2017 and June 2025. Descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between service satisfaction and survivor outcomes. Overall, 58.2% of respondents were satisfied with VAWC services. Psychological counselling (83.3%) and medical support (73.0%) received the highest satisfaction ratings, while FIR assistance showed comparatively lower satisfaction. Higher service satisfaction was significantly associated with improved emotional security, social acceptance, and confidence to speak out against gender-based violence (p < .01). However, no significant association was found with perceptions of broader institutional responsiveness. The findings suggest that the VAWC model effectively promotes survivor recovery and empowerment but requires stronger coordination among police, judicial, and healthcare institutions to enhance its long-term impact. These results provide evidence to inform the expansion of integrated survivor-centred services across Pakistan.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Farooq Manzoor, Maryam Munir, Jamal Nasir
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