Gender Bias and Stereotyping in Police: Social and Psychological Aspects

Abstract

The most sought-after topic now-a-days is Women Empowerment. The word defines itself loud and clear. Despite the initiatives taken to empower women in their respective fields, the weight of gender biasness and stereotyping drags the concept downward. Policing is such an occupation which supports the concept of women empowerment but still holds the concept of biasness and stereotyping deeply rooted in their system. Over the globe and in India, women are mostly compartmentalized to address issues and investigate crimes related to children and women, which is purely based on stereotyping. This practice is basically keeping the women police officials from mainstream policing, addressing major issues and policy making. This statement can be backed by the fact that in India the ratio of women police officials to male police officials is very low, and the women police personnel in decision making level to their male counterparts is even lower. The women empowerment concept has somehow taken the initiative to increase the intake of women in policing but the institutional reforms doesn’t emphasize on gender equality. Women police in India not only struggles with the issues of Biasness and Stereotyping but also faces the issues of Family pressure, Physical struggles, Physiological struggles, Male jokes, lack of sanitation in workplace and many more.