Hashim Abro, Tasleem Naz
THE total population of Pakistan is estimated to be 241.5 million and women constitute approximately 49% of the total population.
There has been a significant increase in women pursuing education. However, this educational advancement has not translated into employment. Equality before the law is a constitutionally enshrined eight of every Pakistani citizen.
Article 25 of the Constitution ensures equal citizens’ rights to all, regardless of their gender. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Article 34 empowers the state to make special provisions for the protection of women and children. Article 35pertains to the economic and social development of women and overcome discriminatory practices. Article 37(e)provides justice and employment for women. Article 38(a) addresses the promotion of economic and social status, the state is targeted to ensure in every step without discrimination
In the international arena, Pakistan has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in1996. This means Pakistan is committed to implementing all 16 Articles of the Convention, which aims to eliminate discrimination against women. The UN Women also provides support to Pakistan in implementing and monitoring CEDAW. Pakistan endorsed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which outlines a global agenda for women’s empowerment. Pakistan is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which includes provisions for the protection of girls. Pakistan has committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to women and girls.
Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence dominates headlines. It is part of our daily lives. Like legal field, the use of artificial intelligence in judicial practices is surging around the globe. But as we stand at the crossroads of history and the unprecedented acceleration of digital technologies, but the digital dividends for women yet to become a reality in our society.
It’s no secret that there’s a gender disparity in the justice sector in our society. The justice system is male-dominated and culturally less accessible for women. Gender sensitivity within Pakistani justice delivery agencies seems to be minimal. The number of female personnel working within the justice sector, such as judicial officers, judges, prosecutors, law officers, police, prison officers, paralegal staff, although increasing, is still much lower than the number of male personnel.
The present AI Policy of the government aims to train I million professionals by 2030. Investing in AI is a very good initiative to meet the increasing demands of AI professionals both in land and aboard. The international bodies like the UNESCO, UN Women Pakistan and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), among others, must extend helping hand in this regard.
In order to overcome this gender digital- divide and male –dominated field, women must be given a wide space in AI in justice sector. We must follow suit of countries like Singapore, US, India, Italy and South African in engaging women in tech, AI in particular in the justice sector. It is hoped that women inclusion in the AI in the justice sector will have the biggest impact on gender equality and making the judiciary more gender sensitive and inclusive. There’s a need to break the stereotype and this is the right time. Let’s begin with the empowerment of women in Artificial Intelligence in justice sector.
—Hashim Abro regular columnist while Tasleen Naz is a volunteer adult literacy educator and social worker based in Islamabad.
