Context
The Rajasthan government authorized 33% reservation for women within the police force through identifying to amend the State Police Subordinate Service Rules, 1989.
Current Status
- Over the years, the representation of women in Indian police has increased.
- However, it’s vital to observe that this development remains slow but constant.
- As of January 1, 2022, women made up 11.7% of the total State police force.
- Police being a State subject, it’s primarily the responsibility of the State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administrations to recruit more women police employees along with development of gender equality.
Importance of Women in police force
- Improved Handling of Violence Against Women: Increased woman representation in law enforcement correlates with higher reporting rates and higher managing of domestic violence, sexual assault, and different crimes against women.
- Female officials improve reporting rates and clearance rates for these cases.
- Enhanced Police-Community Relations: Women officers have a tendency to be relied on more by their groups due to their high interpersonal communication abilities and lower chance of using force.
- This fosters better relationships and more secure communities.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Women bring powerful hassle-solving talents to regulation enforcement.
- Diverse workforces, including a balance of males and females, are more creative, resilient, and effective in decision-making and provider delivery.
Issues and Challenges
- Infrastructure Issues: Many women within the police force expressed dissatisfaction with poor infrastructure, along with the shortage of separate toilets and insufficient venues to report place of work harassment.
- Prejudiced Notions: A portion of the population held prejudiced perspectives about the functionality of women in dealing with police duties.
- There is a standard notion amongst a notable share of personnel that policing is predominantly a person’s job.
- Workplace Environment: Women inside the police force frequently face an antagonistic work environment characterized through sexism and gender bias.
- Stereotypes and biases regularly avoid women’s advancement inside the force.
Steps taken
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued ordinary advisories to the State Governments/UT Administrations to increase the representation of women police to 33% of the total Strength.
- States/UTs are cautioned to make certain each police station has at least 3 women Sub-Inspectors and 10 women Constables to preserve a women’s help desk round the clock.
- States are recommended to enhance welfare measures for women police personnel, including housing, clinical centers, and rest rooms, to create a conducive work environment.
- Central Assistance: Under the “Assistance to States & UTs for Modernization of Police” scheme, primary help is supplied for building separate toilet centers and crèches in police stations.
- Wide Publicity and Fee Exemption: Recruitment is broadly marketed, and female applicants are exempt from software prices.
- Relaxed Physical Tests: Women candidates receive relaxed requirements in the Physical Standard Test (PST) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET) in comparison to male applicants.
- Anti-Sexual Harassment Measures: Committees are installed in any respect levels to address and resolve sexual harassment complaints.
- The Supreme Court has highlighted the essential need for better representation of women within the police force due to the superiority of crimes against women.
Way Ahead
- There need to be efforts to create a conducive environment and primary infrastructure to attract more women to the police force.
- Establishing recruitment forums in all States to make sure ordinary recruitment of women.
- A model policy is wanted to venture deep-rooted patriarchy within police institutions.
- Deployment decisions have to keep away from gender stereotyping, permitting women to take on main operational and investigative roles.
- Implement a 0-tolerance coverage in the direction of discrimination and harassment.
- Gender sensitization inside police forces is essential. Prejudiced notions about women’s abilities ought to be addressed.
- Sensitization applications need to supplement efforts to increase representation.
Source: The Hindu