GENDER SENSITIZATION TRAINING TO POLICE

Police is a State subject under List – II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. Therefore, State Governments and Union Territories (UTs) are primarily responsible for matters relating to training including Gender Sensitization and specific studies in this regard. However, gender sensitization is an integral part of training modules of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNA), Hyderabad; North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA), Shillong and those conducted through Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D).

Concerted efforts are made by SVPNPA, Hyderabad by including following special modules during Basic Course training, Mid-Career Training Programmes (MCTPs) and Induction Training Courses (ITCs) for the IPS officers in order to sensitize them to gender-related issues:

1. Gender Sensitization related issues in Police Station working,
2. Gender Sensitization related issues in process of Investigation, Case studies and case laws relating to violence/crime against women and Procedure for scientific aids to investigation of violence/crime against women,
3. POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Act,
4. Strategic Management: Protecting women and Children,
5. Aspects for women Security, Legal provisions relating to violence / crime against women and Handling victims of violence and crime,
6. Threats to women and children from Cyber crime and measures to deal with them,
7. Model Policy for Women in Police and Women in Police leadership.

Also, during training in SVPNPA, field visits are organized to familiarize the participants with the special initiatives in the area of gender sensitization.

On this subject, NEPA has conducted 13 such courses on Gender sensitization and have trained 317 police personnel during 2021 – 2023. Similarly, Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) through its outreach units viz. Central Detective Training Institutes / Central Academy for Police Trainings (CAPTs) have conducted 09 courses and have trained 407 stakeholders during 2023-24 to sensitize police personnel to gender-related issues.

Ministry of Home Affairs has conceptualized ‘Women Help Desks (WHDs) Scheme’ with the prime objective to supplement States / UTs’ endeavours in strengthening measures to ensure safety of women in the country. Under this Scheme, WHDs have been set-up in police stations across the country for which an amount of One lakh Rupees has been provided to each police station. As on date, out of total 16,469 sanctioned police stations in the country, a total number of 13,557 WHDs have been set-up in police stations. The objectives of WHD Scheme are:

i     Make the Police Stations more women friendly and approachable.

ii    First and single point of contact for any woman walking into a Police     Station.

iii   The WHDs shall have enlisted panel of experts like lawyers,  psychologists, NGOs who can provide shelter, rehabilitation and training etc for accessing the outside support.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai  in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.