2 May 2024, Quetta – In a landmark step towards enhancing the delivery of gender responsive policing services and addressing gender-based violence (GBV), the Balochistan Police has established gender facilitation desks in 15 smart police stations across the district in Quetta. The initiative is funded by the U.S. Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) and implemented with the technical support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The National Police Bureau (NPB) of Pakistan recently issued the National Gender Responsive Policing Framework (NGRPF) to urge police organizations to follow a gender sensitive approach to promote inclusive and representative policies and gender responsiveness in policing. The NGRPF outlines the vision, objectives, approach, strategic priorities, and actions as basis for integrating a gender perspective into law enforcement institutions and police operations.
Taking this framework forward, UNODC, with the INL support, organized two streams of training sessions, comprising two days each on ‘Gender Responsive Policing and Operationalization of Gender Facilitation Desks’ at the Serena Hotel, Quetta, from 29 April-02 May 2024. These training sessions were specifically designed and led by UNODC’s experts with the aim of sensitizing a total of 35 police officers from Balochistan, 15 of whom were women police officers, on the effective delivery of tools and methodologies for gender responsive policing, including the effective management of gender facilitation desks.
Gender facilitation desks are dedicated to providing comprehensive support to victims and survivors of domestic violence, gender-based violence, and other crimes committed against vulnerable women, children, and transgenders. These desks will serve as vital service delivery hubs for women complainants and other vulnerable individuals, offering a range of accessible and friendly services. Additionally, these desks will also provide a suite of Police Khidmat Markaz services to citizens, with a particular focus on supporting concerns and queries raised by women.
The training sessions provided an opportunity for participants to learn about best practices in handling cases of gender-based violence, improving communication with survivors, and promoting gender responsive services within law enforcement agencies given the recently launched NGRPF. Through interactive training and discussions, participants gained valuable insights and strategies to better serve their communities, particularly women.
The support from the U.S. Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) signifies the importance of international cooperation in addressing complex issues surrounding gender-based violence, while UNODC’s expertise in the capacity building of criminal justice systems ensures the effective implementation of these initiatives.
Together, these efforts are not only empowering women and survivors to seek justice and support but also fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for the citizens of Balochistan.
