WOMEN in Pakistan consist of 51 per cent of the entire population, but they do not work outside their homes. Those who want to work face many hurdles.

As society has a conventional image of women, the police are not considered a chosen profession for women as they are considered to be too sentimental and rather inactive to fulfil the requirements.

Few women opt for making it their career due to cultural inhibitions and unfriendly workplace environment, illogical working hours, lack of transportation and related facilities.

Surveys show that at present only one per cent women are part of the police department in Pakistan. The number of women in the provincial police force is about 0.38 per cent of the whole strength as compared to the UN standards which propose at least 20 per cent women police personnel in a country’s police force by 2014.

The overall percentage of women police in Pakistan is 0.89 per cent whereas it is seven per cent in India, 27 per cent in the UK, 12 per cent in the US and 1.9 per cent in Bangladesh.

These results are shocking. It is very important to find a way where we can generate new avenues of growth and empowerment for our womenfolk. The present representation of women in police should be increased.

The Gender Responsive Policing Project, a combined venture of National Police Bureau (NPB) and GIZ funded by the German foreign office are functioning with the Pakistan government in order to perk up the overall status of women in policing.

The zeal with which our women police are working will help in bringing about a positive change within the police department. The government must facilitate them properly so that they can work efficiently.

M. UZAIR NIAZI Mianwali