It Is the Need of the Hour to Increase Women Personnel in the Police Department

Women police help establish gender equality. The women who are working in the police department are not only empowering themselves, but also empowering the country, society, family, and the police department. As soon as the word police are uttered or heard, the image of a male-dominated society often emerges in the mind of the common man. For the common man, police mean an army of stout, tough and arrogant people and the police station is such a place that should be avoided to visit. One reason for this is that society lacks information about the women’s police force moreover; its functions are not properly presented by the police department. In what circumstances women police are performing their duties in the police department are also not publicised.

There is a significant number of women police in the whole country at every level from constable to IPS, but based on reservation and from the perspective of equality, the expected increase has not yet happened, even today there are only 8 to 9% women in the entire police department, which is very less than the given quota and the reason for this is that the police job is not considered safe and suitable for women in the Indian society, yet the participation of women in the police department is increasing considerably, which helps establish gender equality.

Women police work shoulder to shoulder by keeping pace with the male force during their recruitment, training, and placement moreover; perform all the duties related to law and order. Women police with their full potential bring honour to the KHAKHI despite physical difficulties and lots of family responsibilities. Women police complete their training as well as a duty even in unfavourable conditions like menstruation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. They are as duty-bound as their male counterpart for 24 hours on holidays and festivals. Despite the special duty on festivals, she plays her role quite efficiently in maintaining law and order along with discharging responsibilities towards her family. Women police bring a positive and secure atmosphere not only in the police station, court premises, and hospitals but also in public places like localities, streets, parks and shopping malls. Furthermore, it has become easier for women to come to the police station and narrate their grievances. Today, she is seen providing strength to the police department by becoming its backbone of it. Women police have tremendous courage to fulfil their duties in every good and bad situation and cooperate in running the police department smoothly despite having a lack of facilities for themselves like rest room, changing room, washroom, crutch etc. at their workplaces.

On the one hand, she is struggling with the male authoritarian mentality even as a senior officer for paving the way easier not only for herself but also for the other women police personnel on the other hand as a subordinate, she is also playing the role of an ally. She is trying to create a positive image of the police department in the country by motivating other daughters of society to come forward and join the police service with a commitment to serve society. At the same time, she is putting a check on the unbridled male mentality just by her presence in the police department furthermore, making the workplace free from sexual harassment, mental harassment, physical harassment etc. so that women are not stopped by the family and society to join the police service.

n one hand, she is fully cooperating in the prevention of crimes against women in the society, on the other hand by doing a fair and impartial investigation, by making meaningful dialogue with the victims and with her clear image she is giving hope in justice delivery system amongst the victims and common man. There is a dire need to speed up the growing steps of women police in the police department, in other words, we have to increase the number of women police and avail the opportunities for women to join police services. Along with these, if the necessary resources at their workplaces are increased, then the women police personnel and officers will get more strength. Women in the country will be more secure and only with strong women police, the path to the establishment of gender equality will automatically be paved.