In recent years, a number of women police officers have risen through the ranks and have proven their mettle by performing their duties diligently and effectively in Pakistan.
In 2011, Shahzadi Gulfam, a Deputy Superintendent of Police was awarded the International Female Police Peacekeeper Award by United Nations and Association of Police Women for her work to protect vulnerable communities during her services in peacekeeping missions abroad. In 2019, Helena Saeed became the first woman Additional Inspector General of Police in Pakistan and since then a number of bright, capable and inspiring women officers have made their mark in the policing landscape of the country.
Yet, despite being nearly 50% of the population, women are severely underrepresented in the cadres of the Pakistan Police. Currently, they constitute less than 3% of the police workforce, making policing one of the most male dominated occupations in the country. The same number for police departments in India and Sri Lanka is 10%, and for Bangladesh is around 8%.
There are clear moral and ethical reasons to demand fair, equal and equitable representation of women in the police. All state institutions ought to reflect society in terms of their composition along gender, ethnic, religious and class lines. Any imbalance in this regard is a symptom of systemic and historical discrimination and disadvantage, that a just and fair society cannot tolerate.
Along with the moralist argument of having equal representation of women in the police, there are also a number of sound functional reasons why it is imperative for a better performing, trustworthy and efficient police force. A lack of women’s representation is as much a loss for the justice system, as it is for women to have a viable career. Research from around the world shows enormous institutional and social benefits of having women in police in greater numbers.
Hiring and retaining more women provides numerous important advantages to law enforcement agencies. International research has clearly established that female officers are as competent as their male counterparts and even excel in certain areas of performance and female officers are less likely to use excessive force. Female police officers are also more likely to implement “community-oriented policing” and have helped improve law enforcement’s response to violence against women. Increasing the presence of female officers reduces the problems of gender discrimination and harassment within a law enforcement agency, and the presence of women can bring about beneficial changes in policy and work environment for all officers, irrespective of gender.
Some of these points warrant further elaboration. The research shows that women police officers bring a different set of social and interpersonal skills to their roles than their male counterparts. Many are particularly adept at speaking to and connecting with members of the public, especially those who are vulnerable or marginalized, in order to solve cases and provide assistance. Women are consistently rated as trusted by their communities and, therefore, are better placed to serve these in an era of decreased police legitimacy. By increasing the representation of women in law enforcement, agencies can benefit from the improved communication and trust-building that female officers can bring.
Women may also bring a different approach to the job and be more focused on the overall well-being of those they interact with. They may also be more comfortable in certain scenarios where male officers may not feel as comfortable, such as in domestic violence cases or in situations that involve children. Presence of women in police improves the access to justice for vulnerable and marginalized groups of the society including children and transgender persons. Victims of gender-based violence in particular feel more at ease dealing with women officers and face lower risks of secondary victimization.
Women police officers may also bring a different perspective to the job and help to reduce the “us versus them” mentality that can often be present in law enforcement vis-à-vis alleged criminals. Female officers are less likely to use excessive force, or be named in a lawsuit, compared with the male officers. Research has found that male officers were more likely than female officers to be aggressive in the same kind of encounter with a member of the public, especially those from a different race or socioeconomic class. Even though studies show that women officers face same amount of force against them as against male officers, and in some cases, even more, however they are more consistently more successful in defusing violent or aggressive behavior.
Female police officers have a positive influence on perceived job performance, trustworthiness, and fairness of a police agency, perhaps increasing the public’s willingness to cooperate in the production of positive public safety outcomes. They have faced fewer allegations of corruption or abuse of power, and are perceived to generally improve accountability and transparency in an organization.
Additionally, female officers can serve as important role models and mentors for other women in law enforcement, as well as young girls who are interested in a career in law enforcement. They are key to encourage more women to adopt policing as a career. Presence on social media has provided women officers with greater reach to inspire young girls as have their favorable depiction in TV dramas and movies.
For both moral and functional reasons, police departments are poorer without fair representation of women among their ranks. The challenge is to understand the impediments to this and find innovative ways to fast track the recruitment and retention of women in the police force.
