Crimes of a domestic nature usually go unreported. It is very hard to pin down the perpetrators of a domestic crime because it happens in the privacy of the four walls of someone’s house.
Gender Based Crimes (GBCs) towards women in India however, is a serious issue and can occur both in private and in public places. These are crimes of abuse towards women, which can be physical, verbal, psychological, and even of a sexual nature. The violence can even amount to rape or murder.
It is thought that having more women police officers would help to bring down these atrocities. But the representation of woman police officers in the police force in India has always been low.
The colonial policing system, inherited by state police organisations in India, was primarily designed to suppress the freedom movement and only marginally address public grievances. However these laws have been replaced with more progressive and proactive criminals namely Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (earlier Indian penal code), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (earlier Criminal Procedure Code), Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (earlier Indian evidence act).
Even today, the police forces remain predominantly male. As of 2022, according to the Bureau of Police Research and Training, only 11.75% women represent the police forces in India.
Till now, studies have focused on gender based crimes towards women in a linear manner, not exploring the underlying feedback mechanisms that connect women police representation, crime reporting, institutional incentives, and public trust.
In this study, the authors wanted to find out if an increase in women police officers actually solves the problem of gender based crimes towards women in India.
To do this, pan-India focus group discussions from the perspective of law enforcement personnel and validation from professionals such as criminologists, psychologists, social workers, and advocates was done. A qualitative system dynamic modelling was also done.
The study finds that more women police officers in India make institutions more responsive to women who are victims of gender based crime. The results show how having women officers changes the culture of an organization and affects how victims are treated. This is because women officers often take on a caregiving role in their jobs. The study reveals an ADR paradox: an increased representation of women in the system may encourage victims to come forward and engage more openly, yet it may simultaneously shift the response towards mediation and informal resolution, potentially undermining formal prosecution and long-term justice outcomes.
Although feminist legal scholars have criticised the alternate dispute resolution route over criminal prosecution, this route could also help sensitise police towards gender based crimes. This will enable the police to make informed judgements about the type of crimes, the history of the perpetrator, and appropriate counselling mechanisms for victims.
Increased participation of women in policing carries several advantages such as increased reporting of gender based crimes and steady growth of women police over the past decades. Several policy instruments, including reservation mandates, government orders and statutory rules have institutionalised affirmative action in women’s police recruitment.
Certain key reforms including provision of six months maternity leave, two years of child care leave, better access to medical care encouraged more women to join the police.
Increased participation of women in the police force would be welcome. The police force can shift its image focus from a hyper-masculine crime-fighter model to one that emphasises humanitarian service, community policing, problem-solving skills and tech-savviness. Finally, the study emphasises the need for the training of female police personnel, especially in dealing with gender-based crimes. It is also essential to ensure that there is a conduct of regular reviews of crimes against women so that law enforcement is fair and trustworthy and victims get appropriate justice.
The following are the authors of this paper:
- Prof. Kandaswamy Paramasivan from the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Chennai, India. Prof. Kandaswamy Paramasivan is also affiliated with SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India.
- Prof. Thangatur Sukumar Hariharan from T A Pai Management Institute Bengaluru, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
- Dr. Nabila Khan from Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Lucknow, India.
- Mr. S. Thejaswin from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India.
Ms. R. V. Ramya Bharati, a Senior Indian Police Service Officer, with 18 years of experience in law enforcement, investigation, and public administration, gave the following observations on the study done by the authors and appreciated their work as follows: “The research paper on “Crime, Gender and Policing” brilliantly illuminates the transformative role of women officers in combating gender-based violence in India.
The frontline expertise of Prof. Kandaswamy Paramasivan and team is reflected through this research paper, offering a much-needed, insightful analysis and Indian-specific research on the vital role of women officers in tackling gender-based violence in India.
The innovative causal loop diagrams and the data-rich tables on trends in women representation illustrate victim trust on women officers and provide empirical grounding for policy reforms like leadership roles and sensitivity training.
The article stands out in the aspect of being strongly policy relevant through the recommendations culled out by the writers—such as improving conviction rates, conducting independent audits, and enhancing gender-sensitivity training. These recommendations are both pragmatic and actionable, making it valuable and must read for policymakers and law enforcement agencies to initiate real changes in policing systems.
Overall, this article is thought-provoking and will have a profound impact in the fields of criminology, public policy, and gender studies.”
Article by Akshay Anantharaman
Click here for the original link to the paper
