The results of the 2017 census are expected to come by the end of July. Future policies, including those concerning rights of women, will be devised based on facts and figures extracted from the census rather than on guesstimates.
Women in Pakistan are playing a key role in every walk of life. Today they are more concerned about building a career and becoming financially independent. A real transition can be observed in the priorities of Pakistani women in recent decades as the desire for job security is replacing the earlier concept of security associated with marriage.
Luckily they are getting broad chances as well, which definitely is a result of a longstanding struggle for equal opportunities. Gone are the days when women were only associated with certain professions like teaching and healthcare. Women are in every field now. One of the emerging avenues for them to pursue a career is in security and emergency services. From fighter pilots in the Pakistan Air Force to officials in the Bomb Disposal Squad, and from corporals in the Counter Terrorism Department to officers in Police Departments — women are extending their services for protecting the lives of Pakistanis by fighting criminals, terrorists and anti-social elements. Women’s role is crucially important in the Police Department because the frequency of public interaction needed in this department is higher than in any other department.
The current ratio of women in police forces across the country is no more than one or two percent. This abysmally low share can in no way be sufficient to deal with the needs of women citizens.
Many cases in which women are victims are rarely registered because they’re reluctant to visit police stations due to unsupportive, discouraging, and, sometimes, humiliating attitude of male police officials. Social fear and stigma adds more disinclination that keeps vulnerable victims of rape, domestic violence, harassment and other incidents of violence away from the police. Police regulations bar male police staff from searching or detaining women, and yet the number of women in police services is far from enough to deal with women in such incidents.
The current ratio of women in the police force is negligible compared to their share in the population. To offset gender imbalance in the police force, there is a serious need to induct more women.
Keeping this in view, I did some research and found out that according to a 2015 report of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative police forces were in a relatively better position in the Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan.
Punjab has seen an increase in induction of women as sub-Inspectors in recent years. For the first time in the history of Punjab police, 76 women joined the force last year as SIs. Another batch of 32SIs is ready to join the combat operations by October this year.
Major reforms were brought into induction and training patterns of Punjab police during current IGP Punjab Usman Khatak’s tenure as the additional IG training. The newly inducted women officials now undergo rigorous training, including an Elite Commando course considered to be the toughest in police, even for men. This course has the same reputation as that of the SSG trainings conducted by the Army.
The current ratio of women in police forces across the country is no more than one or two percent.
This abysmally low share can in no way be sufficient to deal with the needs of women complainants
While working on a documentary, I got a chance to interview some of the Punjab police women officers and found them optimistic about future of women in the force. ASP Aisha Butt noted:“Any change in society is resisted at first, but gradually it becomes a part of the culture and is accepted. Same is the case with induction of women in police department, which has been thought to be a male-only profession. Females are joining this department by choice now, and they have the ability and courage to deal with challenges associated with the job.”
SI Anam Rehmat said, “Women are dealing with all kinds of cases in police stations and people believe that a woman will listen to them more attentively, especially women feel more comfortable when a female officer is dealing with them.”
As per a recent news report, Punjab government has deployed SI Ghazala Sharif as first-ever female SHO in Lahore. This surely is going to be one of the many steps in changing the current situation where there are not enough female officials to deal with women complainants.
Unfortunately, the ratio of women in the PSP officers has not yet seen much of an improvement. Only 25 women have yet been inducted as Assistant Superintendents of the Police so far. PSP officers hold key administrative and decision making positions. Such a low ratio in decisive positions limits opportunities of upward mobility for women. It is hard to imagine a constructive and sustainable change in Pakistan without equal representation of women in decision making processes at all levels, especially in law enforcement. Women’s access to means of economic prosperity will only have a positive impact on Pakistani society.
A more descriptive version of the same article could be read online on www.dailytimes.com.pk. The writer is a social activist, artist, and author. He tweets at @shahnawazdotpk