In a bid to gather more recruits, Sindh police gives go-ahead for female SHOs

Additional IG decides to raise women employment quota up to five per cent.

KARACHI: With a total strength of barely 900 women, Sindh police is struggling to attract educated women in its fold due to its negative image. In a bid to redress their issues, a meeting was held between the female police officers and Karachi Additional Inspector General Ghulam Shabbir Shaikh on Sunday, during which it was decided the recruitment quota for female cops will be raised to five per cent, preferably inducting them in the traffic police.

It was decided in the meeting to post female police officers as SHOs and traffic section officers at check posts in areas with relatively less crime and traffic problems. In the later phase, however, they will be gradually deputed at stations with increasing workload. The Additional IGP cited the move as an attempt to improve gender equality while providing female cops equal responsibilities in policing.

He said that after necessary training, which includes driving cars and motorcycles, female cops will be introduced in mainstream policing. According to him, 900 female officers was not an optimal situation and suggested that procedures of recruitment be improved to raise their numbers.



The meeting also decided to give female officials posting of their choice.

A pro forma was distributed among participants to seek the feedback of female officers about job-related matters, problems they face in discharging their duties and their suggestions to improve the situation.

It was observed by the officials that women could be easily placed in drug enforcement section, forensic division, central command and control centre, and the Madadgar-15 call centres.

Traffic DIG Abdul Khaliq Shaikh said that the training module for female cops is being upgraded and after proper training, they will be posted in operations, investigation and traffic sections. They will also be deputed as mobile officers, duty officers at police stations, investigation officers and additional SHOs.  SSP Naseem Aara Panwhar said that a female police network has already been set up in 10 cities of Pakistan with the cooperation of an international NGO, through which the women can share their experiences and solve their problems.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2013.