New Delhi: India is slowly but surely breaking its gender barrier as Indian women are breaking stereotypes and flipping the gender scales wherever they go. They are making their presence felt in almost every field be it in politics, bureaucracy, business entrepreneurs or sports and even from working as the Public transport drivers, jockeys, bike riders etc– they’re challenging patriarchy and proving that they too can join spaces previously dominated by men as they are not less than men in any aspect.
Women in the police force of India are no exception either. A woman police officer’s job is doubly difficult. Not only do they have to fight the usual crime – but also the patriarchal mindset of their colleagues and a glass ceiling that is supposed to be almost unbreakable.
They also fight a mindset that is so deep in India – that women cannot be good law enforcers.But it is actually the opposite.
According to a report by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Women make up only 7.10 % of the total police force in the country which in itself reflects the gender disparity in security forces even after nearly 70 years of independence. However, even with the poor sex ratio, woman cops are shining bright and have successfully established foothold in a profession which was once considered a bastion of their male counterparts.
Women are natural brave hearts, and all their qualities with their strong personalities, have given us very efficient female police officers who are breaking trends everywhere. Let’s take some inspiration from them.
Women Have Always Been A Part Of The Police ForceEven Before Independence:
The first ever woman police officer in India was recruited to Kerala’s Travancore Royal Police in 1933. Five years later, an all women-police station was set up there, while still in service of royalty. Post independence, in 1948, a female ASI and two female head constables were recruited to the Delhi police force. Soon, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh followed suit.
Kiran Bedi India’s First Lady IPS Officer:
After Independence, first women officer KiranBedi had joined Indian Police Service in 1972.After becoming IPS officer, she served in different parts of India, like Delhi, Goa, and Mizoram. She began her career as a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Chanakyapuri area of Delhi, and also won the President’s Police Medal in 1979.
After that she moved to West Delhi, there she brought the crime against women under control.Later on, as a traffic police officer she looked over the traffic arrangements for the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi and the 1983 CHOGM meet in Goa. In around May 1993, as IG (inspector General) she was posted to Delhi Prisons. Same as her earlier reform she brought reforms in TIHAR JAIL, too. That reform gained worldwide acclaim and she was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award in United Nations civilian police adviser.Her desire to work more on social activism and writing made her resign from police service in the year 2007.
Presently she is an Indian politician and social activist. Her academics career was very impressive and she was very active in sports too.
After KiranBedi, many more policewomen came to limelight for their commendable work like:
KanchanChaudhary Bhattacharya – First Woman To Be Promoted To The Level Of Director General Of Police (DGP):
Almost everyone knows that KiranBedi was the first woman IPS officer. Very few people know that Kanchan Bhattacharya was the second woman IPS officer. She is known for bravely facing many dishonest politicians.She believes in bringing sensitivity and kindness into the police force. No wonder she was promoted to the post of DGP.
She was also awarded the President’s medal and Rajiv Gandhi Award for being an outstanding achiever.
SanjuktaParashar – First And Only IPS Officer From Assam Who Fights Against The Bodo Militants:
While most police officers are known to hold desk jobs, Sanjukta is known to wear a helmet and full armour and go into militant-infested areas leading from the front!
SanjuktaParashar’s name is enough to fill terror in the hearts of Bodo militants of Assam. She is the first and only lady IPS officer of India who is known for her immense courage and incredible work of fighting against the Bodo militants of Assam. Till now, she has taken down 6 militants and arrested over 64 militants in just 15 months.
MeeraBorwankar – The First Female Police Officer To Head The Crime Branch:
In 2001, Mumbai’s MeeraBorwankar, who is known as the supercop, is the first female police officer to head the Mumbai police crime branch. They deal with white collar crime and also the dirty Mumbai underworld with figureheads like Dawood Ibrahim and ChhotaRajan. If she was chosen to lead a task force so respected and capable, it only speaks how efficient she is.
Known for her no-nonsense attitude, the Iron lady has solved some of the top cases including Jalgaon sex scnadal Abu Salem extraditiona case, IqbalMirchi extradition case etc.
She was alsoappointed as Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), a consultancy organisation under the Centre for modernization of police forces. In her long career, she has also worked in Maharashtra’s anti-terrorism squad.
ManzilSaini – Lucknow’s First Woman Police Chief:
ManzilSaini is not only a brave female cop of India but an excellent athlete and a gold medalist from Delhi Scholl of Economics.She punished in disciplined constables, busted a multi-crore kidney racket and even took on Samajwadi Party workers in Etawah for using tinted windows on their vehicles.
If Naxal areas are dangerous for police, UP is just as dangerous for a female officer. But she has performed admirably.
Sonia Narang – DIG in CID:
Sonia Narang is the badass police officer who is known for the straightforward and honest manner in which she solves many cases. She is also known for her zero tolerance for trouble makers and believes that “all are equal before law”. Sonia Narang once slapped a politician for not following the laws. She is credited for exposing many scams in her entire dutyand has also been an officer in the National Investigative Agency and at the CID.
ArchanaRamasundaram – First Female Officer To Head The Paramilitary Forces:
If working as an officer in paramilitary forces is hard then leading them is harder. ArchanaRamasundramis the first woman police officer to lead paramilitary forces of the country. She leads the SahastraSeemaBal, a central police force that guards the country’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
She was going to be posted in CBI but was judged better for leading one of India’s premier Paramilitary forces.
Shakti Devi – First Woman Inspector To Be Awarded International Female Peacekeeper Award By The United Nations:
Afghanistan has been through a lot of tough times. Especially women over there have to struggle with Stone Age rule against them. In such a time Inspector Shakti Devi from Jammu and Kashmir made a difference by improving the image of female police officers there. She also helped in bringing down the instances of crime against women and general gender-based violence.
For her “exceptional achievements” in her duty with the UN mission in Afghanistan, She received prestigious international female peacekeeper ward by the UN’s police division. She has also contributed to the improvement of the status of female police in UN.
SubashiniSankaran – First Woman Police Officer In Charge Of Any CM In India:
Post-independence, there has been no female police officer who has been in charge of any chief minister’s security. That’s more than 60 years where the police force did not believe in a woman enough to put a CM’s safety in their hands.
But that changed with Ms. Sankaran. She took charge efficiently and fanned locations for security threats, mapped safe roads for convoys and even provided close proximity security for Assam’s then CM SarbanandaSonowal.
SubashiniSankaran has broken many stereotypes in her role which leaves zero scope for error.
UshaKiran – First Woman Police Officer In CRPF:
It is no surprise that Naxalite hotbeds are incredibly hostile. And the working conditions make even the most battle-hardened army soldiers respect the work of a CRPF jawan. And that’s why UshaKiran’s story is so inspirational.
27-year-old UshaKiran is an inspiration to many women who dream to serve their nation. Posted in the Naxal hotbeds of Bastar region in Chhattisgarh by CRPF, UshaKiran is known for her bravery and for being the first woman police officer in CRPF. She specifically requested her seniors to post her in the male battalion in extremely dangerous area. She is an inspiration to many and a role model for young tribal women in joining the armed forces.
India’s All-Female Formed Police Unit Sent To A Mission In Liberia For The UN:
From 2007 to 2016, an all women police force from India was on a peacekeeping mission in Liberia. The 125-strong contingent strove to keep peace every day in the country that has seen a lot of civil unrest. In February 2016 they handed over their responsibilities to the local authorities, their job well done.
They managed crime, reduced violence towards women and built confidence among the people in Liberia. They did a job so well that the Liberian president did not want them to leave the country.
On the other hand, women cops in reel-life too prove that they’re no weaklings, just like in real life:
Whether it’s the tough cop played by Priyanka Chopra in Jai Gangaajal or the cop who busts a trafficking ring in Mardaani (played by Rani Mukherjee), Tabu in Drishyam, or HemaMalini in AndhaKanoon, Bollywood is looking up to the force of police women in a new light. These women cop characters do everything their male counterparts have been doing for ages: hold up a gun, bust doors, punch villains, solve crimes, and save people.
We definitely by heart want to see more female officers like them to take up the helm in policing in India where we are too sick of a sight of a policeman. It would be great if more such brave policewomen joined and made the Indian police more civil, kind and sensitive.
Every day, they battle gender restraints, lack of proper training and recruitment facilities, and the evil face of patriarchy. And yet, the 1 lakh-strong women police force know that they’re paving the way for more success and inspiring other women to join the force.
References:
https://www.thebetterindia.com
https://www.inuth.com
http://www.storypick.com
https://www.naukrinama.com
https://www.iaspaper.net