Daily Times

Pakistan appears to be getting its act together when it comes to women’s protection and the delivery of justice.

This week Karachi unveiled its first women and children protection desk where women police officers will exclusively deal will deal with cases of violence pertaining to these two vulnerable groups.

This is a welcome move, if not long overdue. In fact, this was recognised by the Sindh Inspector General of Police who inaugurated the desk at the office of DIG West Zone in the Gulberg area of the city. For he admitted that oftentimes the women who approach police stations to register complaints of domestic abuse are confronted by unsympathetic male officers; who are all too ready to advise them to resolve such matters “within the family”. Thus the new women and child protection desk would do away with such biases at the bureaucratic level.

In this IG AD Khowaja is right. And that being said, this initiative represents an important first step. But far more needs to be done. Not least in terms of sensitivity training for both male and female officers; especially when handling rape cases, for example. This must extend to the men sitting at the top. Meaning those to whom the women police officers at the desk report. For if this does not happen – it could risk all the potentially good work that is anticipated on this front. Indeed, it may well be worth including women officers as part of arresting teams; particularly when it comes out to emergency calls made by women.

Nevertheless, this is a move in the right direction. It is hoped that it will help women have the confidence to come forward to report abuse and violence of all kinds. The significance of this cannot be overstated given the current global climate where high-profile women are still being taken to task for not preventing gross sexual misconduct or for speaking out too late.

Thus a gender-sensitive police force holds the key to curbing violence against women. For at the very least, it signals that the latter represents a criminal offence. And that the time for accountability has come.  *

Published in Daily Times, May 19^th 2018.