Superintendent Beenish Fatima is a trailblazer in Pakistan’s police community. Driven by her desire to address societal inequities and the underrepresentation of women in policing, SP Fatima—first woman in the history of the Punjab Police to lead its Organized Crime Unit—has addressed challenges for women ranging from childcare for officers to female facilities at police headquarters to drafting policies to eliminate gender barriers. 

Under her leadership, the Organized Crime Unit has tirelessly pursued criminal gangs and apprehended numerous suspects wanted for violent crimes. Including nine gangs in her first three months, alone. However, SP Fatima's impact goes beyond her operational successes—her efforts to improve her unit have included the introduction of anti-bias psychological testing, the recruitment of new investigators, the enhancement of technology utilization and tracing mechanisms, and the oversight of the construction of state-of-the-art unit facilities. These initiatives have significantly improved the unit’s efficiency and effectiveness in combating organized crime. 

Throughout her career, SP Fatima has shown a deep commitment to improving access to police services for vulnerable communities. She initiated and established the first Tahaffuz Center in Punjab, a crime reporting center and help desk dedicated to serving the transgender community, eventually hiring the first cohort of transgender victim support officers. She also established the first Meesaq Centre in Islamabad, a police help desk and reporting center for religious minorities. Currently, she is working with the Pakistan Child Protection Bureau to design an awareness campaign and support mechanism for children who are victims of violent crime. These projects, now replicated across the Punjab region, have played a crucial role in enhancing police outreach and support for marginalized segments of society. 

”Being able to change perceptions about the strengths of women and women in police have been among my biggest achievements.”