Islamic women police conference in Pakistan

Female law enforcers are less than 1% of all law enforcers in Pakistan (0.86%). In comparison, female officers make up 33.38% of the total Australian Federal Police workforce in Australia (September 2010), with a Workforce Diversity Plan to increase recruitment.

In November, 2004, Australia appointed its first Muslim police officer, originally from Lebanon. She wears a navy, lightweight hijab specifically designed for her occupation that fits underneath her police hat.

A four-day International Islamic Women Police Conference from November 21-24 in Islamabad, Pakistan, brings together women police officers from more than ten Islamic countries to build synergies and discuss context-specific gender issues. These include gender perceptions of police culture and policing practices, progression of women in the police force, invisibility of women in mainstream policing, opportunities for professional development, and challenges of the job.

In Pakistan, there are 18 women police stations across the country with seven in Gilgit-Baltisan, three in Karachi and one each in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Larkana, Peshawar, Abbotabad and Islamabad. The Pakistan government now has a policy to integrate women in the mainstream police force, which is an increasing international trend in Muslim countries.

Research has shown that women police officers bring improvements in the working environment, such as the reduction of stress in the workplace. Women police officers also bring a public friendly image of police. Research suggests that women police are much less likely than men to use extreme controlling behavior, such as threats, physical restraint, search, and arrest. Surprisingly, the findings do not confirm that women are more likely than men to use supporting behaviours. Therefore assuming female officers manifest stereotypically feminine traits in policing tasks is clearly an overly simplistic conceptualization of the meaning and impact of gender in policing. In Pakistan, female police officers are seeking advanced courses in law enforcement and the placement of women in active policing based on their skills.

Comments

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...

The Knight in the Panther Skin by Shota Rustaveli (2015 translation): book review

The Knight in the Panther Skin (12th century, this edition 2015) is a recent translation by American poet and author, Lyn Coffin. The author, Shota Rustaveli, is Georgia’s most loved poet. This poem is mammoth, a magnum opus – it is 1,656 verses long, separated by chapters. But readers, don’t give up, because every verse is worth reading. It is akin to 1001 Arabian Knights, Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, or Shakespearean poetry. King Rostevan of Arabia has a daughter, Tinatin. She loves the knight Avtandil and he loves her. Verse 368 from Avtandil: ‘The doctor’s could do nothing. A dark twilight on my heart now pressed, I was on fire because of love, but nobody knew or guessed. They blamed my blood. The king decided bleeding my arm would be best; I let it be done to hide the suffering I had not confessed.’ But a knight in panther skin is seen weeping, and subsequently kills the king’s soldiers, sparing the king. Before Tinatin weds Avtandil she r...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog