67: Target 33% - Challenges for women in policing in India: Conversation with Meeran C Borwankar and Devika Prasad

67: Target 33% - Challenges for women in policing in India: Conversation with Meeran C Borwankar and Devika Prasad: The third episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast in partnership with the India Justice Report focuses on the status of women in policing in India. Despite the target set by the Indian Home Ministry in 2009 to achieve 33% women in the police force - representation has increased by a mere 5% in a decade. While many states have mandated 10% to 33% reservation for women in the police, not one of these States has met its goal. With one woman in every four police officials, the state of Bihar has emerged as the unlikely champion and the best performing state across India. With just 215000 women, just over 10% of Indian police is female. The share of women among the higher ranks is even lower at 8.7%. A significant share of policewomen suffer due to patriarchal prejudices, strong masculine work culture and are considered unfit for on-field tasks. Women personnel are usually limited to in-house tasks such as maintaining registers/data, filing FIRs and other complaints, whereas male police officers are engaged in more field-based tasks such as investigation, patrolling, law and order duties, etc. Most stations also lack basic infrastructure such as separate toilets , creche, changing rooms for women. My guests Meeran Chadha Borwankar and Device Prasad talk about the systemic issues that hold women back, and what actions can be taken to reach the target numbers. 👉🏾 What can be done to help creating a more inclusive culture where women can thrive 👉🏾 Reasons why women in police are clustered at the bottom, and what can be done to promote their rise through the ranks 👉🏾 What states can do to attract and retain women and meet the target 33% 👉🏾 The politics of it In a recent article Meeran Borwankar slammed the demand for all women police stations as a panacea to pervasive challenges. “An officer commented that they “compartmentalise women officers rather than give them the independence of work”. It is “a step in the reverse direction” because women officers are interested in all kinds of police work, not just in women-related matters.”