OVER the last two decades or so, gender-based violence has been an issue of much debate in our country. Although the mindset of the majority of the people remains unchanged by all this discussion, some dents have nevertheless been made in the general patriarchal behaviour.

Recently, a bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly against gender-based violence. This law is preceded by two prominent laws, the Protection of Women (Criminal Law Amendment) Act 2006 and the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010. Despite the fact that these are commendable steps in the right direction, and had been long overdue, some lessons can still be learned from the past, especially in the context of the snags that came in the way of the efficacy of these previous laws.

There is no doubt that the spirit and framework of this law is not only all-encompassing but reassuring for the women of Pakistan. For the first time, this legislation delineates a sketch where women can report any act of violence through a helpline; they can access district protection committees and also reach out to female protection officers. Under this law, victims of violence are also entitled to retaining their accommodation and to monetary support from their family.

However, it does not incriminate the person who commits violence against women. The victims of violence will eventually find their way through the criminal justice system through pre-existing laws under the country’s penal code which cover hurt, assault, kidnapping to compel marriage and attempted murder amongst other acts of violence. This act, like many other pieces of legislation for the protection of women, does not define violence as a crime in itself. Unfortunately, this is the glitch where things get difficult for the victims as well as for the law enforcers.

The police station is the pivot for the implementation of laws.

A surface examination of the criminal justice system makes obvious the pitfalls that come in the way, in the field, of executing these laws. What has largely fogged the vision of all the laws in favour of women is the way the intent of laws has trickled down to the enforcers of the law.

Any law of the land is eventually enforced through the basic unit of the police, and the police station. A recent law against child labour is being successfully implemented in letter and spirit, as due cognisance was taken by the police. However, in the case of laws protecting women’s rights, the procedures and committees somehow lose their bearings en route to the police.

In the absence of committees for receiving complaints against harassment at the workplace, for instance, the complainant might never be able to access the police station at all.

It is pertinent to mention that gender crime centres were established back in 2006, and their task was to forward the complaints of female victims of violence to the police station. Unfortunately, this initiative could not take off because these centres were situated within police stations and posed issues of accessibility to the victims. The act to protect women against violence can effectively resolve this issue by utilising committees as easily accessible platforms and then connecting these committees with the police.

The police station acts as the pivot through which laws get implemented. It is quite understandable, though unfortunate, that the public perception about gaining access to the police station is negative; however, there is no denying that it serves as the place from where the criminal justice system formally originates or takes its course.

Any system running parallel to the police station, be it district committees or protection centres, inevitably spirals into ineffectiveness and consequently becomes redundant. An ideal situation where committees work in unison with the police station, under the overall sup­er­­vision of a district police off­icer, is prac­­­­­­­­­ti­­­­cally more workable and can bring positive results.

This will enable the police to take due cognisance after the cases are reported at these protection centres and helplines. Such a two-tiered system of protection against violence can essentially work in favour of women. Victims can access the committees and protection officers without any hesitation and then the complaints can be forwarded to the relevant police station.

The civil remedies proposed in this bill efficaciously cater for the needs of the victims. The police can act as the bridge connecting the complainant with the system, to provide redress to the complaint of violence. It can be sincerely hoped that as soon as this law gets implemented, it will strongly adhere to its spirit of actualising the civil remedies proposed in the law and will go on to combine it with the mainstream criminal justice system in a workable manner.

In this regard, combined training sessions for the members of the committee and police officers can be held in order to develop a full-fledged understanding of the issue of violence against women.

The writer is a police officer.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2016