The lack of proper accommodation facilities and regressive local customs are hampering women’s recruitment in the Bajaur police department, according to sources within the department. The appointment of women in police is necessary to effectively address gender-specific issues, as per the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police rules. However, there is currently no local woman in Bajaur police, which consists of over 2,800 policemen.
Despite the extension of the policing system in the tribal districts in April 2019 and the recruitment of up to 30 policewomen in Bajaur, no woman has applied for the post of lady police constable since its advertisement in national newspapers. The age limit, qualification, height, etc. were even relaxed to encourage applications, but to no avail.
Regressive local customs are a significant barrier to women’s recruitment in the police, as these customs do not allow women to work in a male-dominated environment. In contrast, some police sources and local residents blame the lack of proper accommodation facilities for women’s disinterest in the police department. A resident of Khar town, Ghulam Hazrat, revealed that his daughter applied for the constable post last year, but she was disappointed to find out that the local police had very poor accommodation facilities for women officials.
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A senior police officer confirmed that local women did not take interest in jobs in the police, but currently, ten lady police constables from outside the district are serving in Bajaur police. Meanwhile, District Police Officer Nazeer Khan expressed hope that women would show more interest in jobs in the police department in the future. The appointment of women in police is crucial to ensure gender balance and effectively address issues that specifically affect women, such as harassment and abuse.
