Laraib Nisar
The Punjab government, in its efforts to protect and empower women, launched a mobile phone application through the Punjab Police department named ‘Punjab Police – Women Safety App’. Inspector General of Police Inam Ghani on Sunday stated that safeguard of women and immediate solution to their issues was among top preferences of the Punjab Police and that’s why the women safety application was launched by using new technology. This news appears to be a ray of hope for the women of the province as the number of sexual, domestic, emotional, and verbal violence incidents was constantly rising, not just in Punjab, but in the whole country.
At the launch of the application on January 31, 2021, IG Punjab stated that the application has been designed by the effective use of information technology and besides Punjab Police, important agencies like Rescue, Motorway Police, and Punjab Highway Patrol have also been included so that the process of protection of women could be improved and women face the least amount of difficulty in challenging situations.
He also urged all female students, working ladies and housewives of the province to immediately download Punjab Police Women Safety App in their mobile phones and register themselves on it so that they can get all possible help and guidance from the options available on this app. The app is an excellent example of constructive use of modern technology. It is a simple mobile app that could be downloaded and used on all smart phones. Women can easily register themselves by entering basic information from their mobile phones, and the app makes Emergency Helpline-15, Rescue 1122, Highway Police, and Motorway Police just one click away, in case of any emergency.
In addition to bringing the security departments close, the app allows women to scan the location before going anywhere by observing the reviews given by other women, moreover, they can also give feedback on their experiences of being safe, partially safe, and unsafe about a particular place so that other women can benefit from it. The app also allows women to avail the live chat service to effortlessly reach out to representatives of the Police Department and they can also approach different laws and awareness documents presented on the application. Though the app is easy to operate, still women’s feedback is sought to further enhance the application.
The launch of the application shows Punjab Police’s commitment for prevention of crimes against women and children, and the effort has been lauded by women across the province. With the passage of Domestic Violence Bill in KPK and the launch of women safety app in Punjab in the subsequent week, it seems that Pakistan has really started making progress in empowering and valuing women and in allowing women to play a role in national development. Such efforts can help in safeguarding women’s rights along with enabling women to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Breaking the cycles of violence and abuse against women is the first step in accepting women as equal partners in the society and in valuing their role for bringing change in the society. Rest of the provinces should learn from Punjab’s model, and should replicate such initiatives in their domain to ensure women safety all across Pakistan.
A single national initiative for all the women across Pakistan can be beneficial in this regard. However, the government should keep in mind that some areas of Pakistan still fall outside the internet connectivity domain, and a fairly large chunk of population doesn’t have access to digital services and gadgets like internet and smart phones. Additionally, our nation doesn’t show a positive trend in digital literacy, though the pandemic has led to an increase in the digital literacy rate, still a lot is yet to be done and achieved in this regard. Wholesome solutions should be took into consideration, so that security can be ensured for all women irrespective of their class, level of education and awareness, and the area where they reside, because all women deserve to be safe.
The author Laraib Nisar is a Defense and Strategic Studies’ graduate, working as a Research Associate at Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) Islamabad.
