Swat to establish its first women’s cop shop

The Swat district of Hussain Valley in the Malakand Division, which once languished under Taliban control, is soon to make history with the setting up of its first women’s police station.

It is believed that the female-oriented cop shop will be able to better address crimes against women; such as cases involving forced marriages, harassment and honour-based violence.

It has been observed that women, particularly from tribal areas, often remain hesitant to report gender-based violence out of the very fear of entering another male-dominated space, such as police stations. Even if they do somehow summon the courage to report, they find it hard to trust and open up to male officers, owing to which case details tend to be missed.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Neelam Shaukat, who has been posted to head the region’s first women's police station, believes that no one can understand and empathise with women’s issues better than a woman. Shaukat, who has been part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa police for the past 15 years, vouched that every day in Swat is a new ordeal for girls who are just trying to live their life. “In our culture, women rarely come to the police station. But simply knowing that there is a female-only police centre where their complaints will be respectfully addressed, will draw out women from even far flung villages to seek justice and break their silence,” the ASI expressed.

Read More: Police told to weed out bad eggs

Shaukat’s confidence in the facility’s success is pegged on the deaprtment’s previous attempts to set up women’s desk at existing police stations, which the assistant sub-inspector says did wonders in terms of increased reporting of gender-based violence. “The exclusively female police station where reports and investigations will be handled by female constables, SHOs, secretaries and investigative staff, will thus encourage local women to file regular reports without any fear of repercussion or judgement,” she told.

In agreement with Shaukat’s sentiments, Malakand Division Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Abdul Ghafoor Afridi said that the establishment of a women’s cop shop in Swat is an important step towards female-friendly law enforcement.

Tremors of the Taliban control, which still surge through the region, have forced women out of Swat’s public spheres and into the four-walls of their houses. Afridi believes seeing female cops alongside their male counterparts patrolling the area, will encourage more women to embrace public spaces without fear. “The facility would help speedily tackle women's issues through one window operation and also induce a sense of safety among the town’s female residents,” commented the DIG.

Per Abdul Ghafoor Afridi, the police station is the first of many such developments directed to uphold and safeguard women’s rights in the province. “Improving the female cadre is a priority for the department. We plan to launch similar facilities in Chitral and Dir, while also training more female officers to meet modern policing standards in the near future” he revealed.

Speaking to the Express Tribune, Swat-based human rights activist and chairperson of the first women's jirga in the region Tabassum Adnan, also appreciated the development and said that she had been calling for the facility since 2016. She maintained that it is a revolutionary step by the government and urged deployment of educated women who understand the Police Act, to better equip the team.

“The women’s police station will create a legal roof and act as a platform for women at the grassroots level. After the establishment of the Women's Police Station, a dispute resolution committee (DRC) will also be set up, which will expedite the solution of women's domestic issues,” she told The Express Tribune.