Career for women in police

Ranjan K Baruah *

We see police in our daily life, be it traffic police or others; police play an important role in our society. In any situation when there is disturbance or any other violence or similar issues, police officials and staff reach the destination where police is needed.

There are male and females in police services but we see less females in police than males.

We have been hearing about INTERPOL and more importantly we have seen in many movies about Interpol. Established in 1923, the Organization has expanded from a group of 20 national representatives to a membership comprising nearly every country in the world.

The International Criminal Police Commission, as INTERPOL was originally called, was founded in 1923 at a police congress in Vienna, Austria that brought together representatives from 20 countries.

For the first time 7th September has been observed as International Day of Police Cooperation.

The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly during its 77th session in December 2022 , the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Policing, together with INTERPOL, highlights the vital role of women in policing. The focus for the day is women in policing which is important for peace in any society.

We should be aware that women police officers play a crucial role across the full spectrum of policing, from crime prevention to criminal investigations, the protection of human rights, and safety and security.

Evidence shows that their full, equal and meaningful participation in all policing functions is vital to achieving more effective, efficient and accountable services. Based on available data today, the average global representation of women in domestic police services is approximately 18.2 per cent, having increased by two percent in the past five years.

In 2021, across 52 countries with available data, the ratio of women within the police ranged from five to 46 percent, with most countries between 15 and 20 per cent. While the numbers are improving, renewed collective commitment and effort is needed by the international community to achieve meaningful growth.

Women constitute 11.7% of India's police forces, with Ladakh Police leading the states/UTs with a 28.3% women component even as J&K figures at the bottom of the table with just 3.3% women in its police organization. There are only a few all women police stations. These bring more opportunities for young women to join police forces.

From the career perspectives it is a choice for many young women to become police officials or constables. I have met many girl students who dream to join police services and serve the nation.

More women in police will attract younger girls to be in the services as the police are one of the most visible representatives of the state. As such, women’s visibility and participation, in national police services and United Nations policing, continues to inspire young girls.