Female police chief pounds new beat for women in Pakistan

Описание: (13 Jun 2014) LEAD IN:
The number of women in Pakistan's police force is very small, but now one police chief in Karachi is bucking the trend.
She is one of two women in the country running police stations in the country.
Women traditionally stay at home, and encounter massive discrimination, the appointments represent a significant step for women's empowerment in the country.

STORY LINE:
When Syeda Gahazala joined the police force two decades ago, she never dreamed that one day she would head a police station staffed by roughly 100 hundred all male police officers.
She pounds her beat in the often violent city of Karachi, in Pakistan.
Just days into her job running her station, Ghazala had to put her training to the test: she opened fire with her .22 pistol when a man shot at police who tried to pull him over during a routine traffic stop.
Decades of violence has marred the city, and last week the Pakistan Taliban appeared to have taken hold in the city (8th June 2014).
Taliban gunmen disguised as police guards stormed the international airport in Karachi, set off explosions and killed 18 people.
Two days later (10th June 2014) gunmen attacked an ASF (Airport Security Force) training facility near the airport, forcing a temporary suspension of flights and triggering a brief shootout with security forces.
Gahazala is first woman to run a police station house in Karachi. Her recent promotion is part of efforts by the local police force to increase the number of women in the police force and in positions of authority.
Shortly after she assumed her new job the city appointed a second woman to head a police station.
In a country where women have traditionally not worked outside the home and face huge discrimination, the appointment of Ghazala represents a significant step for women's empowerment.
"I was not expecting that people would welcome and receive me so well. I feared that the people or police station staff might not accept me. Maybe they wouldn't want to work under a woman commander. But it was not the case. The police station staff were happy and the people in the area are also very happy," she says.
Gahazala says the mindset of people is changing gradually and points out that her husband initially opposed her decision to join the police force 20 years ago.
"My family did not agree with my desire to join the police as in my family most of the people are doctors or teachers. So they were not mentally prepared. Some 20 years ago in Pakistan there was no concept of women serving for the police. But my father-in-law said 'you join the police and if you don't feel comfortable, come back'," she says.
The station house in Clifton is a respectable area, home to the elite of a sprawling metropolis of roughly 20 million people. But in an often violent city where 166 officers were killed in the line of duty last year, it's by no means an easy assignment. During a day's work, Ghazala says she can face crimes ranging from petty theft and muggings to terrorism or murder.
Deputy Inspector General of Police for Karachi South, Abdul Khaliq Sheikh says he hopes Ghazala's appointment leads to more women joining the police force.
"It is the issue of stereotype roles for women. In our society, people have in mind that females can be teachers, doctors or can play similar roles. And this policing is a 24 hour job. It involves physical exertion and is a high stress job. There is also a mindset that police have to fight, use fire arms and face risks. So the males are better suited for such a job, although it is not correct."

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