By Rakiya A.Muhammad
The need for high-quality police and justice response to violence against women and girls has remained a global concern even as a World’s Women’s Report shows that less than 10 per cent of women who seek help after experiencing violence turn to the police.
“Strengthening the justice sector response, particularly that of law enforcement, has consistently been cited as one of the most challenging issues when responding to violence against women and girls,” the UN Women notes.
“A positive initial contact experience with police is crucial for survivors of violence, and a
high-quality police and justice response must be available and accessible to all women and girls who are navigating an often-complex justice system, especially those who are most marginalised and are at greater risk of experiencing violence.”
To address the situation, the UN Women, under the framework of the UN Joint Global Programme on Essential Services and in partnership with UNODC and the International Association of Women Police (IAWP), developed a handbook on gender-responsive police services.
The handbook, which also includes guidance on responding to violence against women and girls during crises, including pandemics, complements existing global and country-specific guides and training materials for law enforcement and covers diverse areas.
They include gender-responsive police investigations, prevention, intersectionality, survivor-centred approaches, promoting positive masculinities, and coordination.
Others are institution-building and emerging issues, such as online and ICT-facilitated violence against women and girls.
“Gender-responsive policing has long been regarded as a vital component of building trust with the communities served; this principle applies to all countries and never more so than in these difficult times where we have seen trust and confidence in law enforcement shaken,” notes Deborah Friedl, President, IAWP, a global organisation for women police officers and women in other criminal justice roles.
“Ensuring that our policies and practices encourage equality of protection for all citizens is an essential first step.”
She adds that gender-responsive policing also requires internal examination and assurance that policies and culture reflect gender sensitivity and inclusion. “In so doing, it will ensure that agencies are able to be properly reflective of the communities they serve”.
IAWP pledges to promote gender-responsive policing by committing to institutional change that will deliver gender-responsive police services that are accountable, transparent, and representative of the communities they serve.
It also commits to transformative learning and professional development of police/law enforcement, including through police colleges and universities, to implement gender-responsive policing that is trauma-informed, perpetrator-focused and victim/survivor-centred, among others.
