17 May 2024, Islamabad – A legal system that functions fairly requires equal access for all. Gender disaggregated data reveals potential biases or barriers faced by specific genders in accessing criminal justice services. For example, does a lack of female police officers deter women from reporting crimes? Does a legal system cater to the specific needs of female victims or witnesses? Disaggregated data is a versatile tool to expose disparities and structural biases within the delivery chain of a criminal justice system regarding how it responds to the needs of individual genders as well as how a society’s conditioning, cultural constructs, and stereotypes influence the ability of an individual gender to address gender-specific issues requiring legal recourse.
Realizing how gender disaggregated data provides crucial insights for targeted interventions to tackle GBV, improve reporting mechanisms, and enhance support services for victims and survivors of gender-based violence, an innovative training program on the collection, processing, and analysis of gender-disaggregated data funded by the U.S. Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) and conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) from 13-16 May in two training spells of two days each in Quetta, targeting a cross-section of police officers, including xx female police officers from across Balochistan.
Traditionally, data collection hasn’t factored in gender, which creates a blind spot within the criminal justice sector to address the unique needs of individual genders and ensure equal access to justice for all, catering to the differentiated needs of each gender, particularly women and marginalized groups such as transgenders, for example, while reporting to police on crimes of gender-based violence (GBV).
This training marked a significant step in sensitizing the participants on the importance of collecting, processing, and analyzing gender disaggregated data to infer critical insights and evidence to enable gender-friendly responses and solutions. The training wasn’t just about numbers; it was about understanding the unique experiences and challenges faced by men and women within the legal framework.
The training was comprehensive and systematically delivered by UNODC experts. From the unpacking of the concept to the understanding of data categorized by gender, the discussion was centered on how disaggregated data exposes gender disparities, how it can empower institutions such as the police to design tailored approaches and deliver gender-specific services; as well as how to inform the development of gender-sensitive policies that cater to the specific needs of men and women.
The participants from law enforcement and police actively, including 18 female police officers from a total of 36 participants, actively engaged in the discussions, drawing up insights and lessons on how to deliver institutionalized mechanisms for gender-sensitive policing services, ensuring victims as well as offenders receive the support they need.
