Dastak in collaboration with Punjab Women Protecting Authority and with the technical support of UNFPA organized a series of two-day workshops for DWPOs in Punjab on 22-23 May, 21-22 July 2025 and and 28-29 July 2025. The initiative comprised three sets of workshops. In the first workshop, 18 DWPOs were trained as trainers, who then facilitated the subsequent workshops held in Lahore and Multan, reaching the remaining DWPOs across Punjab.

Central to the trainings was an in-depth application of key legal frameworks, notably the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act, 2016, which serves as the cornerstone legislation protecting women against various forms of violence in the province. The workshops also provided detailed instruction on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) established for Women Protection Centers (WPCs), ensuring DWPOs understand the standardized processes necessary to deliver consistent, survivor-centered services.

Beyond legal and procedural knowledge, a significant component of the workshops focused on building effective facilitation and adult learning skills. This was critical to prepare DWPOs not only to implement these frameworks in their day-to-day work but also to serve as trainers and change agents within their districts. Through participatory and trauma-informed teaching methodologies, DWPOs were trained to cascade the knowledge gained by conducting district-level trainings for other protection center staff, service providers, law enforcement personnel, and community stakeholders. This multiplier effect aims to create a sustainable model of capacity building that strengthens the overall network of protection services for women and girls at the grassroots level.

District Women Protection Officers from 35 districts received training in these workshops.