Our Work

CFHR drives justice, equality, and systemic change through research, legal innovation, advocacy, and education.

Our work is rooted in five key focus areas:

  1. Governance, Peace and Security
  2. Human Rights and Social Justice
  3. Youth Engagement and Empowerment
  4. Climate Justice
  5. Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

We work to combat trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, and the illegal proliferation of firearms. At the same time, we promote fair trial rights and due process in Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Courts. Our efforts to advance human rights and social inclusion focus on issues such as gender-based violence, women’s marriage rights, transgender rights, refugee protection, and digital freedoms. Through legal aid, national campaigns, marriage rights clinics, a documentary, and a digital knowledge platform, we strive to protect and promote rights for all.

Our climate justice work examines how environmental challenges such as displacement and the impact of the 2022 floods affect vulnerable communities and the justice system. We advocate for rights-based, resilient solutions. Meanwhile, through our Institute for Responsible AI & Human Rights, we explore the intersection of technology and human rights, promoting ethical innovation that puts people first.

At CFHR, we believe knowledge fuels change. We have published eight volumes of the Human Rights Review, developed policy papers and research reports, launched award-winning campaigns, and supported legal fellows. Our clinical legal education programme, moot courts, and specialised trainings prepare the next generation of human rights defenders with the tools and experience they need to lead.

Across all areas, we collaborate with national and international partners to influence policy, strengthen legal protections, and empower communities. Our work is grounded in evidence, shaped by inclusion, and driven by a commitment to lasting impact.

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Human Rights & Social Justice
Marriage Rights

Diagnostic Study of Nikanama in Punjab: A Review of Women's Marriage Rights

This research assesses women's marriage rights in Punjab, focusing on the nikkahnama. The study analyzed 1,150 nikkahnamas, along with surveys and interviews to understand gaps impacting women's rights.

Diagnostic Study of Nikanama in Punjab: A Review of Women's Marriage Rights
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Marriage Rights

Fact Sheet: Diagnostic Study of Nikahnamas in Punjab

This Fact Sheet provides key insights from the Diagnostic Study of Nikkahnamas in Punjab: A Review of Women's Marriage Rights.

Fact Sheet: Diagnostic Study of Nikahnamas in Punjab
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Marriage Rights

Inter-Provincial Consultation on Women's Marriage Rights in Pakistan

CFHR, in collaboration with Musawi and ABA ROLI, hosted a national consultation in August 2023, uniting over 200 diverse stakeholders to address critical issues like minority women’s rights and family law barriers.

Inter-Provincial Consultation on Women's Marriage Rights in Pakistan
Publication
Technology & AI
Institute for Responsible Artificial Intelligence & Human Rights

Algorithmic Decision-Making in Pakistan: A Challenge to Right to Equality & Non-Discrimination

This report examines AI risks in Pakistan, spotlighting algorithmic bias in automated systems that threaten constitutional equality. Analyzing how societal prejudices infiltrate AI, it proposes policy reforms to bridge legal gaps and ensure ethical governance.

Algorithmic Decision-Making in Pakistan: A Challenge to Right to Equality & Non-Discrimination
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Human Rights Review

Human Rights Review Vol VIII

This volume examines barriers to women's marriage rights in Pakistan, highlighting legal gaps, underage marriage, marital rape, and access to divorce.

Human Rights Review Vol VIII
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Clinical Legal Education

Human Rights and Justice Clinic (2023-2024)

Students conducted 2023–24 research on climate displacement, urban wildlife loss, and voting barriers for marginalized communities across Punjab and beyond.

Human Rights and Justice Clinic (2023-2024)
Capacity Building
Human Rights & Social Justice
Transgender Rights

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment (TANA) Report on Transgenders' Access to Justice

TANA assesses justice access barriers for transgender people in Sindh, offering data-driven insights and reforms to strengthen inclusion and accountability.

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment (TANA) Report on Transgenders' Access to Justice
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Marriage Rights

Know-Your-Rights Media Campaign

CFHR's Qabool Hai campaign aims to dispel myths about women's marriage rights through engaging social media content, empowering women and girls.

Know-Your-Rights Media Campaign
Campaign
Human Rights & Social Justice
Marriage Rights

Ijaazat Campaign

Partnering with Generations Pakistan, CFHR launched the Ijaazat Campaign to empower women by raising awareness of Nikahnama marriage rights.

Ijaazat Campaign
Campaign
Human Rights & Social Justice
Marriage Rights

Nikahnama Cheat Sheet

CFHR’s Nikahnama Cheat Sheet is a concise visual tool from the Ijaazat Campaign, simplifying key marriage contract clauses for women’s awareness.

Nikahnama Cheat Sheet
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Marriage Rights

Nikahnama Checklist

CFHR’s Ijaazat Campaign offered a detailed checklist to empower women and families in navigating the Nikahnama process with confidence and clarity.

Nikahnama Checklist
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Marriage Rights

Women's Marriage Rights [Pocket Dictionary]

This pocket dictionary, created under the Ijaazat Campaign, simplifies legal terms to empower women in Pakistan with knowledge of their marriage rights.

Women's Marriage Rights [Pocket Dictionary]
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Youth Engagement
Marriage Rights

Heads Up - Marriage Rights Edition

CFHR’s interactive game raises awareness of women’s marriage rights through engaging, team-based challenges in workshops and classrooms.

Heads Up - Marriage Rights Edition
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Youth Engagement
Marriage Rights

International Symposium on Women’s Marriage Rights in Pakistan

CFHR champions women’s marriage rights through research, legal aid, national advocacy, arts-based campaigns, and expert-led symposiums that drive reform.

International Symposium on Women’s Marriage Rights in Pakistan
Symposium
Human Rights & Social Justice
Human Rights Review

Human Rights Review Vol VII

This volume explores key human rights challenges, from COVID-era rights violations to cyberwarfare laws, featuring diverse legal insights and global perspectives.

Human Rights Review Vol VII
Publication
Climate Justice
Climate Justice

Global Climate Justice

This report, prepared for the Philippine Commission on Human Rights by the Centre for Human Rights, aids in developing a climate change curriculum and framework. It analyzes successful climate change litigation globally, focusing on landmark cases and the evolving role of climate science as legal evidence.

Global Climate Justice
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Youth Engagement
Marriage Rights
Clinical Legal Education

Marriage Rights Clinic (2022-23)

CFHR's Marriage Rights Clinic trains law students to uphold women's marriage rights in Pakistan, using Nikkahnama expertise & combating disinformation.

Marriage Rights Clinic (2022-23)
Capacity Building
Human Rights & Social Justice
Human Rights Review

Human Rights Review Vol VI

This volume explores counter-terror laws, their human rights impact, and judicial oversight, highlighting tensions between security, nationalism, and civil liberties.

Human Rights Review Vol VI
Publication
Technology & AI
Digital Rights

Bridging the Digital Divide during Covid-19: A Right to Internet Access and the Path Towards Sustainability in Education

CFHR’s research examines the critical need for internet access as a fundamental right in education, emphasizing the role of legal and policy frameworks in addressing digital inequality.

Bridging the Digital Divide during Covid-19: A Right to Internet Access and the Path Towards Sustainability in Education
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Gender-based Violence

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2021

In 2021, CFHR implemented a harassment policy at Universal College Lahore. Since 2019, CFHR has worked to create safe and inclusive educational institutions through policy reform, legal education, and community engagement.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2021
Campaign
Human Rights & Social Justice
Gender-based Violence

Harassment, Bullying & Misconduct Policy

This template for educational Institutions helps to promote survivor-sensitive policies to prevent harassment, bullying, and misconduct through legal alignment in universities in Pakistan.

Harassment, Bullying & Misconduct Policy
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Gender-based Violence

December 2020 16 Days of Activism

Dive in to see how we’re building a safer, more just Pakistan for all.

December 2020 16 Days of Activism
Publication
Human Rights & Social Justice
Gender-based Violence

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2020

In 2020, CFHR conducted impactful campaigns during the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, focusing on bystander intervention, challenging gender stereotypes, and engaging men in gender equality. These initiatives aimed to foster safer communities and promote gender-sensitive discourse.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2020
Campaign
Human Rights & Social Justice
Gender-based Violence

Economic Cost of Violence against Women

Violence against women significantly impacts victims, society, and the economy.  This report examines the economic costs of this violence globally and in Pakistan, highlighting the need for improved data collection and effective prevention policies.

Economic Cost of Violence against Women
Publication
Youth Engagement
Moot Court

2020 Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court – Pakistan National Rounds

UCL and the U.S. Embassy Islamabad jointly hosted the 2020 Jessup Moot Court Competition in Lahore, with 22 teams competing in the final round held at the Supreme Court bench. The competition offered students valuable experience in public international law advocacy.

2020 Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court – Pakistan National Rounds
Capacity Building

Local Action, Global Impact

We work across Pakistan, driving legal reform, advocacy, and policy change to protect human rights and empower communities.

Our Work
Our Partners