ISLAMABAD: A gender strategy for the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) was launched by the Ministry of Narcotics-Control (MNC) in Islamabad on Thursday. The strategy aims to foster gender mainstreaming and create opportunities for gender transformation in the ANF. It is also accompanied by a robust action plan and framework for organizational wide activities and practices.
The strategy stresses on creating an enabling environment for gender empowerment and inclusion, identifies barriers to gender and social inclusion and access to justice, and proposes practical recommendations to achieve its set targets.
It was developed following a series of consultations with government interlocutors, like-minded national and international partners, and UN agencies, as well as research and analysis on existing legal frameworks, policies, and procedures that facilitate access to justice for women and marginalized groups in Pakistan.
Federal Secretary Ministry of Narcotics-Control, Dr Syed Kaleem Imam thanked INL and UNDP for supporting the MNC and ANF in initiating interventions for gender mainstreaming and women empowerment. “MNC is committed to create a safe and enabling environment for women personnel and this strategy will help us review our existing policies and practices and revise them to increase women’s representation in law enforcement agencies.”
He further said that the strategy should be disseminated through Inter Agency Taskforce for a wider outreach.
Speaking at the occasion, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Kaiser Ishaque said that the benefits of recruiting, training, and promoting more women officers are now being recognized by law enforcement agencies across the world. “In Pakistan, there are multiple challenges in doing so, but creating an enabling environment for women in the force to thrive and encourage others to join it is crucial.
The Gender Strategy will provide a vision and plan to help ANF review department policies on social inclusion and gender mainstreaming, ensure gender responsive budgeting and develop outreach programmes for targeted recruitment of women among other steps.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022