While the available research is scarce, it suggests that female officers possess specialized
skill sets that prove more advantageous in areas such as community relations, support
functions, and investigations related to child protection and vice, as opposed to the more
conventional domains within law enforcement (Dick & Metcalfe, 2007).
As of January 1, 2021, in India, Chandigarh led with the highest representation of women
in its police force, constituting 22.1 percent of the total. Tamil Nadu and Ladakh followed
closely, with 19.4 and 18.5 percent of women officers, respectively. Conversely, the
lowest percentages of women police officers were observed in Jammu and Kashmir (3.3
percent), Tripura (5.2 percent), and Meghalaya (5.9 percent). In the central police
services, women's representation lagged even further behind, accounting for merely 3.4
percent of all members across nine specialized forces. Notably, the Railway Protection
Force exhibited the highest representation at 8.9 percent, while the National Security
Guard recorded the lowest representation at a mere 0.6 percent. The overall distribution
of female staff suggests a notable concentration in states specializing in addressing
vulnerability and gender-based violent crimes, such as child protection and domestic and
sexual offenses. Conversely, a smaller proportion of female officers are represented in
more traditionally masculine areas of policing, including the National Security Guards
(0.6 percent) and the National Disaster Response Force (1.4 percent) (Chawla, 2022).
While addressing the gendered disparities in policing specializations is crucial, it is equally
imperative for police services to harness and deploy their workforce capabilities to
address the most significant areas of threat, risk, harm, and need. The persistent rise in
reported rates of sexual and domestic violence underscores the urgency for police forces
to effectively deploy their resources to prevent and mitigate such violent crimes, aligning
with the objectives of UN Sustainable Development Goal 5.
Therefore, the emphasis on increasing female recruitment has never been more critical,
given that female officers often excel in roles pertaining to these areas. Additionally, it is
paramount to ensure that female officers receive comprehensive training and support to
deliver high-quality services to female victims and effectively pursue justice against
perpetrators.
5. Robust and resilient police leadership
Studies have demonstrated that diversity and an egalitarian ethos within the executive
boards of corporate entities lead to enhanced effectiveness, productivity, and decision-
making (Creary et al., 2019). Similarly, such principles hold true for policing. It would be
immensely advantageous to transition from the prevailing "groupthink" characterized by
predominantly white, male, and autocratic senior officer stereotypes to a senior
leadership team that is markedly more diverse and reflective of the communities it
serves.
Increased diversity in senior ranks, including greater representation of female leaders,
correlates with heightened levels of procedural justice and police legitimacy among
citizens. When a police force mirrors society and upholds principles of equality and
fairness within its own ranks, it is more likely to extend fairness to its constituents,