'Police working to address gender-based violence'.

KARACHI -- The Sindh police have established a human rights cell and a women and child protection cell to address gender-based violence complaints. The department has also initiated hiring transgender persons and providing international exposure to its female officials so they could improve their skills in combating gender-based violence.

This was stated by Inspector General of Police (Sindh) Dr Syed Kaleem Imam at a conference organised by the Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) at a hotel here on Wednesday.

The programme aimed at assessing the progress achieved under the project - policy advocacy and research to strengthen implementation of pro-women legislation and gender-based violence response services in Sindh.

The event opened with welcome remarks by SPO board member Sadiqa Salahuddin, who explained the role of civil society in gender-based response and implementation of pro-women laws.

Barrister Maliha Zia, an expert on laws related to gender-based violence and a member of the Provincial Steering Forum, talked about the efforts made by the forum to advocate for pro-women laws over the last two years.

The forum formed by the SPO included government officials, experts on gender-based violence and members of civil society and the media to review and advocate for pro-women laws.

Chairperson of the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women Nuzhat Shirin spoke about the struggle of the...