[ti:A Woman Police Chief Breaks Barriers in Pakistan]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]Pakistani Rizwana Hameed made history last month
[00:05.67]when she became the first woman chief of a male police station
[00:12.40]in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province.
[00:16.20]The area is known for its conservative cultural and religious traditions.
[00:25.00]Women are rarely even permitted outside their homes in the area.
[00:33.52]Hameed has been a member of the provincial police force for 15 years.
[00:42.00]She has taken part in many crime investigations.
[00:47.48]She also has carried out raids on suspected terrorist bases.
[00:55.48]She says being the first woman officer to supervise a male police station
[01:03.36]in the area carries a lot of pressure.
[01:08.30]"It's a difficult job for me," she says.
[01:13.72]However, Hameed says she is enjoying the job
[01:19.03]and she says women can do everything men can do and more.
[01:26.32]"If men are asked to take on household responsibilities and babysitting,
[01:33.64]for the whole day, I don't think they can handle them.
[01:38.32]Whereas women can easily handle professional responsibilities
[01:44.00]outside of the home also," she said.
[01:48.11]Women in the surrounding area have not been willing
[01:53.46]to enter the police station with complaints.
[01:57.40]They do not want to discuss them openly with male police officers, says Hameed.
[02:05.19]She says the provincial capital city, Peshawar,
[02:10.73]is a "closed society" where women mainly stay at home.
[02:17.92]"Even if they are subjected to domestic violence
[02:22.12]they endure it and avoid publicly talking about it," she says.
[02:28.30]But Hameed says her presence is "encouraging them
[02:34.08]to bring problems to the police station and their number is growing by the day."
[02:42.08]This success has increased the willingness of local women to go to the police.
[02:48.96]Hameed says, "When their problems are solved they take back a message
[02:56.16]of satisfaction to their communities,
[02:59.52]which is emboldening other women to visit the police station."
[03:04.96]Pashtun families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
[03:10.68]have traditionally not supported women joining the police force.
[03:16.36]About 10 percent of police are women.
[03:21.36]But officials say examples of women police in the media
[03:26.93]are changing the way people think.
[03:30.84]Hameed says her new job makes family life a little difficult,
[03:37.72]but she has the support of her husband and other family members.
[03:44.75]The provincial police department also is working
[03:49.82]to get women from women's schools to join the force.
[03:54.65]Hameed says she believes more women on the force
[03:59.92]will reduce domestic violence and other crimes against women.
[04:06.48]I'm Caty Weaver. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM