Gender Sensitisation Training: Punjab Police and Women & Child Development Department Join Hands to Protect Vulnerable Sections
Chandigarh/Jalandhar, August 19: The Community Affairs Division (CAD) of Punjab Police, in partnership with J-PAL South Asia and Hartek Foundation, conducted the second day of Round-III of the Gender Sensitisation Project, “Mainstreaming of Women in Punjab Police,” at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy (MRSPPA), Phillaur.
The second day of the training focused on Group T2, the male-only group, comprising 413 nominated police officials serving as Station House Officers (SHOs), Investigating Officers (IOs) and Munshis (MHCs) from police stations across Punjab.
Cabinet Minister for Social Security, Women & Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur, who attended the programme as the Chief Guest, emphasised that gender sensitivity must go hand in hand with compassion for underprivileged citizens, senior citizens and people with special needs.
Dr Baljit Kaur said people with adequate resources can often access assistance easily, while those without social support require greater empathy and understanding from the police.
The minister stressed the importance of creating a gender-friendly organisational environment in which women police personnel are treated with equality and dignity. She also announced that the Department of Social Security, Women & Child Development would work closely with the Community Affairs Division of Punjab Police.
She urged the police department to strengthen coordination to combat crimes against children, eradicate beggary and take strict action against organised human trafficking.
Women Police Personnel Must Get Active Operational Roles
Special DGP CAD Gurpreet Kaur Deo said women continue to be a minority in the traditionally male-dominated police organisation and need to be integrated into mainstream policing.
She emphasised that women personnel should be given active operational responsibilities instead of being restricted to routine administrative or desk duties. She also called upon women officers to remain proactive and urged SHOs and male colleagues to create a supportive workplace environment that enables women to become effective members of police station teams.
The training sessions were conducted by eminent former police officers and lead trainers, including former DGP Maharashtra Meeran C. Borwankar and former DGP Punjab R.C. Singh, along with other resource persons.
The sessions focused on challenging gender stereotypes, promoting inclusive policing practices and strengthening community engagement based on practical field experiences.
Training to Cover Around 2,000 Police Officials
The wider intervention covers around 2,000 police officials across 384 police stations. Of these, 288 police stations are part of the training programme, while 96 have been designated as a control group.
The programme follows a Training of Trainers (ToT) model involving 60 Master Trainers. As part of the research-based impact assessment, J-PAL will conduct an endline survey after completion of the training to assess changes in attitudes and perceptions compared with the pre-training baseline data.
The third and concluding day of Round-III is scheduled for August 20, 2026, and will focus on Group T1, the women-only group. The group comprises 398 Punjab Police Mahila Mittars deployed at Women Helpdesks across 384 police stations in the state.