Special DGP Gurpreet Deo Leads the Charge in Gender-Responsive Policing Initiative
By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide
Chandigarh:: In a significant move to promote gender inclusivity and enhance the professional role of women in law enforcement, the Punjab Police has launched an ambitious state-wide training project under the “Mainstreaming of Women Police” initiative. The project aims to assess and improve the integration of women officers across the state, focusing on building gender-responsive policing capacity.
The initiative kicked off with a three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme at the Punjab Police Academy (PPA), Phillaur, which took place from December 2 to 4, 2025. Organized by the Community Affairs Division (CAD) Wing of the Punjab Police in collaboration with the Hartek Foundation, the session trained 60 master trainers, consisting of senior officers from 13 districts across the state. These trainers are now tasked with imparting the training to their respective police stations in the coming months.
Empowering Officers with Critical Training Modules
The training curriculum covered a range of vital topics, including Shaping the Police Persona, Gender Sensitisation, the Role of Police in Ensuring Justice for Underserved Sections, and Strategies for Integrating Women Officers into the predominantly male-dominated police force. One of the key highlights of the programme was the emphasis on the responsibilities of senior officers in promoting the professional growth of women police personnel.
Addressing the importance of this initiative, Special DGP Gurpreet Kaur Deo of the CAD Division stated that this project is an evidence-based assessment of the success of the Women Helpdesk Project introduced by the Government of India. The initiative, which posts two women officials at each of Punjab’s 384 police stations, is being closely evaluated through this training programme.
Collaboration with J-PAL for Scientific Assessment
To ensure a robust evaluation of the training’s effectiveness, Punjab Police has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab), a leading NGO known for its work in policy analysis using Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs). Under the project, 288 police stations in the state will participate in the training, while 96 police stations will act as control stations, receiving no training to serve as a baseline for comparison.
The initiative will also include detailed pre- and post-training surveys by J-PAL, aimed at gauging changes in gender perceptions and understanding the evolving roles of women in the police force. The baseline survey will assess police officers’ views on gender sensitivity, while the end-line survey will compare these views to those of both police officers and the general public after the training.
Aiming to Train Over 2000 Police Personnel
The project aims to train more than 2000 police officials, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to create a more inclusive and effective policing environment. In addition to the current training session, a second ToT for master trainers from the remaining districts is scheduled from December 22 to 24, 2025.
The final round of district-based trainings will begin in March 2026 and continue through June 2026, marking the completion of the first phase of the programme. In total, the initiative will lay the foundation for a more gender-sensitive approach within Punjab Police, strengthening both the operational effectiveness and the professional empowerment of women police officers.
Through this pioneering project, the Punjab Police are taking a significant step toward reshaping the future of law enforcement in the state, creating a more inclusive, responsive, and gender-aware police force for the 21st century.
