Traffic hat on women

The positive reactions from the people show how well this has gone down with them. It is modestly just a step nearer global urban modernity standards, with Dhaka yet to be in the ivy league of world capitals in that particular sense.

There are quite a few expectations from these latest recruits in the traffic police department.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Minute attention to detail is the woman's forte. Traffic policewomen could be ideally suited for handling problems with greater attention to detail than their male counterparts. They are by nature likely to be serious in their new work. Traffic control in the capital is not fully and properly mechanised; human presence to bring order on the streets is still a primary necessity. And, there shouldn't be any gender gap there.

Playing a traffic-friendly role should come to the women cops rather easily. Let's just hope that they would be successful in bringing some discipline to the capital's traffic non-system. But to enable them to do a good job of it, there is one vital requirement to be met. They have been placed on duty after a very short orientation programme. They need training; and it has to be imparted on a continual basis. Furthermore, unless the experienced male traffic personnel extend a helping hand to them, the gender equality exercise is most likely to fail. Traffic policewomen have tremendous potential just waiting to be tapped. We only hope, higher officials have already instructed the male policemen to treat their new colleagues as equals, not as subordinates or lesser human beings. Though the step is not quite in the category of empowerment, it definitely is a clear indication of assimilating women into tabooed areas which is more than welcome. Let us wish the new entrants all the best.