Indian police force has only 7% women

"As on January 1, 2016, the representation of women police personnel is 7.10 per cent at all India level," Minister of State for Home Hansraj G Ahir said in a written reply to Lok Sabha, reported One India. The government said that there is a need to increase the representation of women to 33% and the instructions have been sent to the states and the union territories.

Ahir also mentioned that the Union Home Ministry issued advisories in 2009 and 2012 to all the states and union territories about this issue of underrepresentation of women. All the states have been commanded to carve out new position for women constables and to transform vacant position at constable level for men into ones suitable for women constables.

The ministry of state for home and the ministry of women and child development are collaborating to formulate a new fleet of Mahila Police Volunteers in states and UTs. These volunteers will act as intermediaries between the police and the public and will be deployed to help women in distress.

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"The MPV will encourage women to come forward with complaints of violence and discrimination, provide information to them on remedies for this and assist them in taking their cases to police authorities," he said.

Ahir added, “"Haryana has become the first state to deploy the MPV scheme. It was launched jointly by the Ministry of WCD and Government of Haryana at Karnal on December 14, 2016 for the districts of Karnal and Mahendragarh," he said.

It is highly important to induct women in the police force as that will also ensure de-stigmatizing crimes against women apart from benefiting the gender equality cause. Women are generally more sensitive towards each others’ problems and can explain the gravity of crime much better than they can explain it to a male constable. It should encourage more women to join the police force.

Picture credit- Hindustan Times