London, April 15 (NationPress) The representation of women within Pakistan's police forces is critically low, comprising less than three percent of the overall workforce.

The significant underrepresentation contributes to issues such as the underreporting of violence against women, inadequate investigations into gender-related crimes, legal noncompliance, miscarriages of justice, and a growing lack of trust in law enforcement, as highlighted in a recent report.

Pakistan ranks 145th out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2024 released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), emphasizing the entrenched gender inequality.

“Pakistan significantly trails behind its South Asian counterparts, where the percentage of female police officers is at least three times higher. The situation is comparable to Afghanistan, with Nepal reporting 11.73 percent, Sri Lanka at 11.5 percent, and Bangladesh achieving 8.63 percent. In India, women make up 12.60 percent of the police force,” detailed a report from the UK-based newspaper 'Asian Lite'.

According to a policy brief by the Islamabad-based civil society organization, ‘Accountability Lab Pakistan’, this lack of representation obstructs efforts to tackle crimes like domestic violence, sexual harassment, and other offenses based on gender.

“With only 3 percent of women in the police, Pakistan ranks among the lowest globally and in the region. This insufficient representation negatively impacts law enforcement and justice for women,” the document stated.

Highlighting gender disparities across Pakistan's provinces, the report revealed that women make up just 2.62 percent of the police force in Sindh, 1.46 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 1.74 percent in Balochistan.

The situation appears dire in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), where women represent merely 2.48 percent and 3.36 percent of police personnel, respectively.

Although Punjab province, politically dominant, boasts a higher proportion of women police personnel at 4.4 percent, the overall scenario remains concerning.

The report recounted the tragic case of a 13-year-old rape survivor from Punjab’s Kasur region who took her own life after the acquittal of her assailant by a Pakistani court.

Researcher Furqan Ali from Peshawar expressed grave concerns regarding the inadequate representation of women within the police force and the absence of legal accountability in the justice system. He noted, “Pakistan’s conviction rates for gender-based crimes are shockingly low: 0.5 percent for rape and honor killings, 0.1 percent for abduction, and just 1.3 percent for domestic violence. With women constituting only 1-1.5 percent of the police force, this institutional imbalance affects every aspect of reporting and investigation.”