Pakistan needs another 150 years to meet UN’s current standard of women in police: Report

Pakistan has patriarchal and some what misogynistic attitude towards women. 

Pakistani women police officers play the vital role in difficult conditions, especially in the rural areas of Pakistan, where women officers work in upper Sindh without even a toilet at their police stations.

Women police officers are a necessary part of any investigation for the effective functioning of the police force and for the security of an entire nation.

These officers are often first point of contact for female victims of abominable crimes such as rape, gang rape, sexual assault and domestic violence.

Their gender does not make them weaker or softer, but in the eyes of victims and their families, they can be perceived as safer and more sympathetic when a woman has to bring a complaint to the attention of the police. 

Their passion for their work is equal to and sometimes even greater than those of the men, perhaps more so when the crime involves gender-based violence.

The police and military recognise the need for more women in security forces, and have been working hard to actively recruit more women officers — according to NPR, only two per cent of Sindh’s police force are women. According to The Pakistan Forum on Democratic Policing  (PFDP) only 1.20% of Sindh police force are women.

At current pace it may take Pakistan approximately 150 years to meet the UN’s current standard of women in police. This standard is expected to be doubled by end of 2020.

Unfortunately, Pakistani attitudes towards working women are not as forward-thinking as in India, and women police officers are the targets of the same misogyny as the victims they are charged with protecting.

For instance ASP Suhai Talpur, who faced stiff family opposition to become a police officer, led a successful operation against militants attacking the Chinese consulate in Karachi in 2018; her bravery was rewarded by the police and she was quickly promoted. 

However, voices were raised in her opposition to cast a shadow on her bravery and achievements.