Women officers must be on front lines of policing

Abstract

Two years into the pandemic, a global crisis of violence against women and girls has gripped headlines worldwide. India is no exception. A recent analysis of national crime records data suggests a woman dies every hour due to domestic or “dowry-related” disputes, while another two are raped. Another recent study reports that 40% of Indian women experience intimate partner or familial abuse in their lifetimes.

Yet, the vast majority of crimes against women go unrecorded. A recent report, for example, estimated a full 99% of rapes are not reported to the police. Even where women approach the police, officers resist registering their complaints formally. The police are often dismissive, accusing women of lodging “false cases,” or urging complainants to “compromise”. This hesitancy reflects patriarchal norms within police forces staffed largely by men (less than 12% are women), and capacity and resource constraints in overburdened local stations. [Read More]