Every year, the World Customs Organization (WCO) announces a unique theme for International Customs Day celebrations in order to kickstart debates, discussions, and special focus on the same.This year’s theme, "Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity" sits very well with the eminent threats facing Customs Administrations around the world. However, it is felt that gender mainstreaming in the workplace is an important driver of efficiency.
Gender mainstreaming is an important buzz word today and the WCO has also been espousing it over the past few years, actively sponsoring workshops on gender mainstreaming and equality in Customs Administrations across the world; and developing training material to assist its Member Administrations to practically implement gender equality, diversity and inclusion in Customs.
In Pakistan’s case too, recent years have seen a positive development in the form of greater recruitment of women officers in Customs service of Pakistan. Despite this, however, cultural perceptions continue to restrict the number of female officers posted in anti-smuggling and enforcement activities. This has much to do with regional dynamics (amongst other causes), as reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in one of its papers from 2021 that "the percentage of female officers in law enforcement agencies in Southeast Asia is low." Moreover, a joint study by UN?Women and Interpol for the year------ reveals an abysmal 6 percent presence of females in law enforcement agencies in Southeast Asia.
Although no specific figures are available on the exact number of females in the enforcement divisions of Pakistan Customs, however, as of 2022, collectively women constituted only 2% in law enforcement agencies of Pakistan. This, however,has not deterred serving female officers from proving their mettle in the fields of anti-smuggling and border security. Female officers from all cadres have performed impressively in enforcement operations across the country, whether in Peshawar, Gawadar, Karachi or Multan. In spite of this performance,issues persistpertaining to women participation in Customs enforcement.
Ranging from inherent cultural perspectives to inadequate gender sensitive facilitation in the field, women are generally not fully perceived as guardians of the economic frontiers or as capable of dealing with drug-related crimes. These areas are culturally attributedto men and this perception is so ingrained in the policy makers’ minds that women in general miss out on opportunities of working in enforcement–related fields. As a scenario, if an emergency situation arises requiring immediate action through an anti-smuggling operation, the team constituted for the purpose would more likely comprise of males than females. A female officer would mostly be added only as an afterthought,most likely only in case of shortage of officers.
As in the words of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, "Well-behaved women seldom make history", the traditional tendencies of gender limitation seldom breed desired results and sustainable success.For effective Customs enforcement, positive societal visibility and mandate setting, it is pertinent for policy makers to aim at creating policies that are more gender inclusive especially with reference to female representation in traditionally male dominated areas of anti-smuggling and border security management.
In order to make gender mainstreaming a part of Customs, policies need to be formulated by decision makers to enable female officers to maintain a good work-life balance even when posted in operational areas. This would include the provision of flexi working hours, work from home, facilities like day-care centres at the work place etc. There must also be proper capacity building trainings for female officers working in enforcement, to bring their skills at par with their male counterparts who do receive such trainings including regular drills and weapon handling trainings. Moreover, mass awareness programs and social media campaigns can also yield needed results. New Zealand CustomsService (NZCS) is an apt case study of gender inclusivity in field work where their Inclusion and Diversity Council chalked out a five-year plan that focused on more women in leadership roles, ensuring gender neutral policies, zero tolerance for harassment, and above all flexible arrangements for effective work-life balance.
Any human resource policies framed should not encourage under-representation or intentional exclusion of women from enforcement activities; instead such policies should aim at providing a conducive environment where full potential of all genders can be realized and utilised. Pakistan Customs' enforcement division is making its mark with its efficient system of preventing and controlling the menace of smuggling in all areas everyday.However, it needs more female representation in leadership roles and field work to reap the benefits of inclusive human resource and to enable Pakistan Customs to truly commit itself to efficiency, security and prosperity.
Bisma Noor Jatoi
(Assistant Collector), Collectorate of Customs Enforcement
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025