ISLAMABAD: National Police Bureau (NPB) Director General Dr Ehsan Sadiq on Saturday said the bureau was determined to reform and reshape police in Pakistan to make it inclusive, responsive and accountable and one of the major initiatives is establishment of a National Gender Responsive Unit in the bureau.

A press release issued by NBP stated that speaking in the closing session of two days National Conference on Women in Policing organised by National Police Bureau in collaboration with the UN Women, NBP Director General Dr Ehsan Sadiq said the unit will spearhead efforts to actively coordinate with various stakeholders, including police organisations, ministries and international bodies to ensure a seamless and effective execution of gender-responsive policing strategies.

The unit will conduct a comprehensive review of existing policies, legal frameworks, and organizational structures, formulate guidelines to address the unique challenges faced by female police officers, covering logistics, promotions, work environments, incentives, and gender-responsive budgeting, he added.

The conference was attended by the senior leadership from all law enforcement agencies, female police officers, legal fraternity, government ministries representatives, parliamentarians, diplomatic community, international organisations, civil society, media, academia and under-training ASPs from the National Police Academy in Islamabad, consisted of a special working session to discuss and deliberate on recommendations to formulate a National Gender Responsive Policing Framework.

National Conference on Women in Policing held

In his closing remarks, the NBP Director General said: “As we jointly organise this conference, the bureau recognises the imperative of gender parity in the realm of law enforcement. By bringing this issue to the forefront, we aim to cultivate respect, empathy and professionalism among our officers while highlighting the remarkable contributions of women officers.”

He further said, “The concept of gender-responsive policing is not only about integrating women into law enforcement; it’s about transforming the entire system to address the unique needs and concerns of all citizens.”

Further, he added that in the coming weeks, the National Police Bureau will take these reforms and strategic agenda forward, form a core leadership group and organse a strategic leadership forum to institutionalise the measures.

UN Women Country Representative Sharmeela Rassool in her closing remarks said: “This conference represents a significant milestone in our journey toward inclusive policing. I am pleased to see that today’s discussion revolved around Article 25A of the Constitution, which states in no uncertain terms that everyone is equal before the law and should not be discriminated against on the basis of sex.

“Through this article, the Constitution also allows for affirmative action, and it was encouraging to see so many recommendations for affirmative action coming from the future leaders of the country’s police force.”

In his remarks, Jeroen Willem, Head of Cooperation of the European Union (EU) delegation to Pakistan, congratulated the National Police Bureau for holding a successful event and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to strengthen the rule of law and advance gender equality in Pakistan.

He complimented the achievements of the Deliver Justice Project, particularly highlighting the 80% increase in women personnel in Balochistan Police and the creation of the AIG-Gender post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He urged the National Police Bureau to encourage the recruitment, promotion, and training of women police officers across the country.

Inspector General of Police NH&MP Sultan Ali Khowaja, who was the chief guest of the session, commended the participants for coming up with innovative policy suggestions to advance gender responsive policing in Pakistan.

The two-day conference served as a dynamic platform for sharing success stories, addressing challenges, and shaping future strategies aimed at enhancing women’s roles and leadership within the policing sector.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2023