PITB Establishes Complaint Management System to Assist Violence Against Women

The very first Violence Against Women Center (VAWC) in Punjab is ready to start working by the end of October. The female-run center is being established as part of the execution of the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act (PPWAV) approved by the Provincial assembly in 2016. PITB Establishes Complaint Management System to Assist Violence Against Women

PITB Establishes Complaint Management System to Assist Violence Against Women

PITB has established a complaint management system with an associated database to help the center. The system will register all complaints and systematize the process of offering information. It will also help in receiving related support from the concerned departments. The departments include the Police, Forensics, Medico-Legal, Law, Social Welfare and Prosecution.

The entire information from VAWC will be maintained at the PITB data center in Lahore. The purpose of the center is to rationalize the complete justice delivery process. And bring all amenities such as First Aid, FIR lodging, Prosecution, Medical Examination, Forensics, and post-trauma recovery under one single platform.

The VAWC system also comprises measures to avoid data falsification and tampering. There will be an activity and time log section that will note down the IP address and time at which the existing information was changed.

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Since the centers are to be female run, more female officials have been employed by the Police department. The post of DIG Gender Crimes has also been created. Furthermore, one female SP will also be positioned in each VAWC.

Two female prosecutors have been hired to signify the women at the VAWC. There will be a forensics professional on ground at the center as well. The expert will be there at crime scenes in order to collect evidence based on standard guidelines so that it is preserved.

A shelter home will be built adjacent the VAWC in Multan. Three new centers will be established at the end of the 2016-2017 fiscal year. One of the centers is all set to be established in Lahore.

Simi Kamal from the Aurat Foundation and one of the foremost women’s rights activists in Pakistan says,

“There are so few services being provided all over Pakistan for the protection of women so any attempt will be a great addition and we should welcome these moves.”

The PPWAV Act and the creation of the VAWC, targets to safeguard women from physical, emotional and psychological abuse, and support gender equality.

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