KARACHI: Police told to change attitude with women
KARACHI, May 29: The Sindh Women Development Directorate will ensure that the women associated with the Sindh Police are provided the opportunities of promotion and professional growth at par with their male counterparts. This was stated by Dr Saeeda Malik, Minister for Women Development, while speaking at a seminar on ‘Gender Sensitization’ organised jointly by the directorate and the Sindh Police here on Monday.
Regretting that women personnel of the provincial police department, unlike mechanisms in other provinces as well as the capital, were treated under a separate cadre, thus exposing them to discrimination.
The concerned departments will be approached and asked to ensure that women police of Sindh are merged in general cadre and offered the opportunities and facilities equal to those available to male police personnel, she said.
Responding to the presentations made by CCPO Karachi Niaz Siddiqui, Additional IG Abdul Razzaq Cheema and DIG Zafar Ahmed Farooqui, she said there was no dearth of capable women to join in the provincial police service but there was dire need for police to emerge as a people-friendly institution.
“We need role models with in the police force that may motivate educated and committed men and women to join police,” she said.
Earlier, with regard to relevance of the seminar, the minister said police department holding direct dealings with general public, including women, needed to improve public perception about it and restore public confidence in it.
Dr Malik stressed that there was urgent need to particularly change the police mindset about issues such as violence, especially domestic, and crime against women.
“The unfriendly and intimidating attitude, negative body language and filthy language discourage not women alone, but men also with no clout to approach police,” the minister commented.
“The series of workshops and seminars on gender sensitisation initiated on Monday will go a long way and organized across the province,” she said.
Sindh Law Minister Chaudhry Iftikhar speaking on the occasion underscored the need for acknowledging the services delivered by police, sometimes under extremely difficult conditions.
Ms Shagufta Alizai, an activist and researcher, said that gender sensitisation had been extensively incorporated into the police training programmes in many countries, including India and Indonesia.
She stressed the urgent need for creating awareness at all levels to develop a culture based on mutual respect and strict implementation of the laws protecting women and other marginalised segments of society against injustice and violence.
The seminar was largely attended by Karachi-based police officials, members of civil society organisations, besides prominent figures like Begum Salima Ahmed, Dr Mobina Agboatwala, Farzana Rehman and Salma Murad.-—APP
