New Era in Police Force

ڈیسک

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EDITORIAL:

Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for a dose of girl power in the land of the pure. A woman has shattered the glass ceiling and taken the reins as the DPO in Attock, just weeks after the appointment of the first female SHO in the district. Ammara Athar, a deserving candidate who served as SSP in Multan, has made history once again by becoming the first female DPO in Punjab, serving in Bahawalnagar and then in Sargodha.

Punjab leads the pack when it comes to crimes against women, but it’s about time the province upped its game and made a statement with the appointment of female decision-makers. And who better to lead the charge than women in the police force, where crimes against women are investigated.

Let’s be real, when it comes to tackling violent crimes against women, women police officers can hold their own and outperform their male counterparts. Many male police officers are known to be shy or indifferent when it comes to engaging with female citizens, which is a major drawback given that women make up half the population. Women police officers not only educate their peers about the need for sensitivity and privacy around certain crimes, but they can bring a much-needed fresh perspective to the table.

In a country where convictions in rape cases are still low, largely due to poor evidence collection and recording of testimonies, senior women police officers can be the game changers. Their life experiences and insights can lead to meaningful changes in the processes that exist to gather evidence and report criminal offenses. This, in turn, could encourage more women to come forward and report cases of abuse.

It’s time to put the old, regressive stereotypes to bed and show that women can be part of a workforce that demands ‘aggressive’ work. Ammara Athar’s appointment should serve as a wake-up call for other provinces to follow suit. The government should support the trend by making more key appointments open to the best female officers.

So, let’s raise a glass to Ammara Athar, a trailblazer who’s breaking the glass ceiling with a badass bang and paving the way for more women in uniform to take the lead.