The speakers on Tuesday called for providing level playing field to the women police officers by organising appropriate training as well as empowering them so that they could perform their duties independently in the field.
“The police high-ups have always been considering women police officers as supportive unit of the department which is one of the main reasons which discourages them to compete with their male colleagues. Women police will play their due role when they will be given an opportunity to work independently” Niaz Ahmad Siddiqui, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) said this while addressing a seminar entitled “Women police as change agents and gender-based police reforms” organised by Individual and Pakistan with the support of Royal Norwegian Embassy. This event was part of a yearlong initiative of Individual and Pakistan on women police as change agents and gender-based police reforms.
Three different publications and a documentary were also launched during the event.
Niaz Ahmad said if legislators have 33 percent representation, then every government department specially the police service should have the same percentage of representation. Women police is always regarded as a supportive unit in Pakistan due to negligence of high-ups of police, he said.
He urged the IGPs to play their role in this regard and to give them independent charge. “There is a dire need to allow and encourage women to operate anywhere and they should remain in the beat like males”, he said.
Tahira Yasub, DSP Gilgit-Baltistan, said in spite of challenges and problems of various natures, women police personnel had excelled and were now serving at all levels. She said women police should be provided proper training and facilities.
Farooq Azam, DIG operations NH & MP, reiterated that “implementation of harassment at workplace law and confidence building measures for female police officers should be focused on. He also stressed on proper representation of women in police department as well as women police should be provided adequate training.
Fozia Waqar, a researcher, said there were inherent flaws in the police system of Pakistan because the policing system is still being run by command and control model. “So high of police failed to introduce citizen centric policing in the country due to which women did like to join police”, she said.
Gulmina Bilal Ahmed, Executive Director Individual and Pakistan, speaking on the occasion said women police had proven to be the agents of change both in their own lives and in the lives of others as well.
Individual and Pakistan, a research-based consultancy and advocacy firm, organised the event to highlight the achievements of women police in Pakistan. The seminar was attended by senior officers from the police department of all provinces – Gilgit Baltistan, Islamabad, Balochistan – and by members of the civil society.
Ambassador of Norway to Pakistan Cecilie Landsverk was also present on the occasion.
