Gender Response Policing Project

Introduction

Gender Crime Cell was established in 2006 at National Police Bureau to address the lack of data on gender crimes in Pakistan, which limits accountability, constraints policy development and makes it difficult to monitor individual cases or advocate institutional change. GCC is supposed to function as a central repository of relevant data on cases of violence against women in order to assist policy makers in developing holistic and effective policy to prevent and punish violence against women.


Gender Responsive Policing Project Phase I & II

Project Profile:


  1. Funding agency — German Foreign Office
  2. Implementers — National Police Bureau & GIZ
  3. 1st Phase (completed) July 2009 — April 2012
  4. 2nd Phase (completed) May 2012 - Dec 2014

Background

For effective counter measures, GCC has been working for Gender Mainstreaming in police. Gender Responsive Policing Project was launched in the year 2009. Initiation of Gender reforms process in police aimed at addressing the issues pertaining to gender inequalities and less gender- sensitized police and developing appropriate procedures/ protocols for Gender based crimes in various policing units.


Objectives

The basis of Gender Responsive Policing (GRP) is the socially constructed roles of women and men, their behaviors, social positions, access to power and resources which create gender-specific vulnerabilities that determine the status of men and women in a society and are also reflected in the organizational culture of police. Therefore, GRP focuses on police reforms ensuring that the principles of gender equality are systematically integrated throughout all police procedures, protocols, rules and regulations, reinforced through gender sensitive trainings and developing monitoring and evaluation tools for assessing these measures.

The overall objective of the Gender Responsive Policing Project is to enable the National Police Bureau to support the Executive Police to adopt and implement a standardized policy for gender mainstreaming and gender just access to policing, taking into consideration the principles of the rule of law. Implementing partners are the National Police Bureau and the police organizations of Pakistan.


Services

  1. Gender Auditof nine police organizations to identify areas of improvement at institutional and service delivery level
  2. Gender review of police curriculum of the Executive Police to incorporate gender and include women protection laws in the curricula.
  3. Formulation of the Gender Strategyof Police Organizations 2012-2016 providing guidelines for equality of opportunity and inclusive participation of women police
  4. Training of Trainers (TOT)
  5. TRAINING OF POLICE ON Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  6. Establishment of model Ladies Complaint Units (LCUs)
  7. Developing a standardized Police Training Policy for all the police organizations of Pakistan
  8. Functional Women Police Network / Forum
  9. Holding of the 2ndlnternational Islamic Women Police Conference in 2011 at Islamabad
  10. International network of Women Police on Gender Responsive Policing to promote learning, experience sharing
  11. Holding of the International Women Policing Conference in October 2014 at Islamabad

Outcomes

The project has created a gender niche within the police by engaging the police in gender auditing. Review and analysis of police context and practices have established legitimacy for gender reforms and paved the way for working on the gender strategy. The consultations on positioning of women in police have created space for deployment Of women police at mainstream police stations. Women's presence in policing units has encouraged women to seek police assistance for gender just services.

Police organizations have become sensitive to gender issues due to repeated dialogues with the senior management. This could be observed in recent announcements by all the provincial police chiefs regarding increased quota for women in the future recruitments.


Women Police Network (WPN)


Introduction & Objectives

WPN, established in July 2012, is a collaboration of ten police organizations in Pakistan who come together to enhance networking and learning opportunities to promote women's leadership in police service and facilitate gender just policing practices particularly on issues of crimes and violence against women.

The network functions at two levels: National and organizational level. The network operates through a Board of WPN at national level and Women Police Council at the level of a police organization.


Meeting

Six Board meetings of WPN has been held so far.


Short Term Objectives of GCC

  1. Functional Women Police Network / forum as an advisory body for the enhancement of role and positioning of women police
  2. Supporting the women police network to run a nationwide campaign in educational institutes for increased recruitment of women in police
  3. Establishment of Gender Responsive Policing Network (International Chapter)
  4. Monitoring the Implementation of Gender Strategy by Action Plan Committees (already approved by all heads of police organizations)
  5. Improving the process of data collection on violence against women from the provinces
  6. Collection and compilation of available analysis/reports on violence against women to determine trends (annually)
  7. Developing linkages with National Commission on Status of Women, Ministry of Women Development and Women Development Departments in the provinces
  8. Establishment of Ladies Complaint Units (LCUs) in regular police stations depending upon availability of trained women police officers— Approximately 150 LCUs have been established so far.
  9. Developing linkages with International organizations working on gender based violence
  10. Sharing the status of implementation of positive measures by Pakistan for combating VAW at SAARC conferences
  11. Launching SAARC Toll Free Helpline for Women and Children
  12. Launching Phase-III for Gender Responsive Policing Project to continue NPB's efforts on gender mainstreaming
  13. Strengthening Women Police Stations