The Federal Investigation Agency Pakistan, the Anti-Narcotics Force, the Pakistan Customs and the Police united on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022. They highlighted the role of gender equality and awareness in national border management agencies in Pakistan. On 7-9 March 2022, an inter-agency workshop was held in Islamabad for female officers exclusively by the involved services aimed at raising gender awareness as well as collecting feedback on their working experiences and challenges at Pakistan’s borders.
Dr. Athar Waheed, Director of Training of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Academy, made a formal address to the female officers to mark International Women’s Day. He said that the FIA was actively pursuing gender parity and had the highest representation of female officers in law enforcement, with 9.68% in the force. The FIA’s aim was not only to ensure female representation but to increase the number of key positions held by female officers. H.E. Mr Tomas Smetanka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Pakistan, and Mr. Thomas Seiler, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation, accompanied him in addressing female officers.
The integral role of female officers
Gender awareness amongst Pakistan’s border management agencies is vitally important for both the internal functioning, as well as the external operations of these agencies. Female officials at Pakistan’s national borders play an integral role, serving across the full range of different functions at different ranks. Officers at the border crossing points are usually the first points of contact with a country for the foreigners who are visiting it for the first time. It is important they are seen as role models in their conduct, professionalism and attitude. Such positive trends, including the recruitment and career growth of female officers within border management agencies in recent years, illustrate that the benefits of gender equality are gradually being recognised. Gender diversity in governmental institutions is beneficial for everybody.
However, further steps are possible. Efforts by Pakistan’s border management agencies, the European Union and ICMPD to strengthen gender mainstreaming will continue throughout the year. Further workshops for senior border officers and management of border management agencies are planned, with the aim of preparing recommendations for further strengthening the role that female officers play in managing Pakistan’s borders.
The workshop was organised by ICMPD and funded by the European Union, as part of an ongoing programme of technical assistance to Pakistan’s border management agencies. The “Integrated Border Management in the Silk Routes Countries” project is also funded by the European Union and implemented by ICMPD.