MANSEHRA: District Committee on the Status of Women on Monday decided to ensure establishment of women desks at all police stations.

“We would make it possible that a women desk is set up at every police station where women would never hesitate to come and freely lodge their complaints with staff of their own gender,” Shakeela Rabbani, the chairperson of the committee, told journalists after its inaugural meeting at district social welfare secretariat here.

The meeting, attended by the district social welfare officer, Sabir Shah, and committee members including Nasira Bibi, Uzma Bibi, Amatul Wadood Nazli, Tabinda Umer, Chand Kanwal, Saima Ambreen and others decided to curb workplace harassment in public sector departments.

Ms Rabbani said that although police department had already posted women clerks at some police stations, it should be ensured at all stations immediately. She said that DCSW, in its maiden meeting, set targets to achieve and end gender disparity.

“We would ensure that anti-harassment committees are constituted in every department to check such cases at workplace. We would extend all sorts of support in this regard,” she said.

She said that a number of decisions, which were taken in the meeting, would shortly be enforced with the help of police, health and education departments.

Ms Rabbani said that obstetric units of King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, rural health centres and basic health units would be equipped with adequate services to facilitate women.

“We want to end deaths of women and newborns at the hands of unskilled birth attendants anywhere in the district. That’s why, with the help of provincial health department, adequate services would be provided to would-be mothers,” she said.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2026