Kozhikode: India's First All-Women Police Station Marks Its 50 Years

The trailblazing police station in Kozhikode was established five decades ago and was inaugurated by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It was the country's first all-women police station established in 1973, in Kerela. While Kerela police take great pride in declaring it as Asia's first all-women police station, some claim it to be the World's first all-women police station. 

As reported by TOI, a 10-day celebration was held on October 16 that will be coming to an end on October 27 to mark the remarkable 50 years of the Vanitha Police Station in Kozhikode. The 10-day activities included blood donation campaigns for women and children where more than fifty police personnel donated their blood. Hair donation camps for cancer patients, awareness campaigns against drugs, and campaigns around child education and more social issues were held too.

Establishment of India's First All-Women Police Station

27 October 1973 marked a momentous day for the whole country and Kerala police as then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated India's first all-women police station in Kozhikode. The PM attended the ceremony and handed a pen to the station's first sub-inspector M. Padmini Amma to sign the inaugural register. 

Padmini Amma who retired from the position of SP takes immense pride as she recounted the historical moment that shaped women's empowerment and women's accessibility to law enforcement not just in Kerela but across the nation. Padmini Amma calls the idea of the women's police station to be "progressive" and "humane".

Enabled Women To File Complaints

Padmini Amma who now lives as a retired police personnel with her son in Thiruvananthapuram recalled how the main aim of establishing this police station was to enable the women who feared seeking justice in the daunting male-dominated environments in police stations, especially the women who lacked educational empowerment. 

Evolution In Uniforms

Padmini Amma also reminisced the uniform of the station evolved from a plain white saree with blue borders to green borders and after her retirement, they switched to khaki which was indicative of changing times and breaking the barriers of trousers and shirts to be limited to being a garment for men.

Most Cases Are Family Issues

Padmini Amma recalled how initially the station was only allowed to receive complaints and investigate but soon in 1974 they were enabled to register complaints and the first case that was registered was of three missing children that were later discovered.

The current in-charge of the Vanitha Police Station, Thulasi KK who is also the first woman to be directly recruited as a sub-inspector says that most cases they receive are of family issues or domestic violence, issues where female officers can bring a significant difference in how such cases are approached as they are more empathetic and understanding.

Thulasi also added that they do not just receive complaints from women complainants, but they also receive complaints where the women are accused. 

Bijuraj P, ACP of Kozhikode asserts the Vanitha Police Station to be certainly the world's first women police station and it is less known due to a lack of proper documentation in those times. He claims that when they searched online, the first all-women's police station was established in 1985, but the Kozhikode police station was established in 1973.

The ACP asserts that Vanitha police station is definitely Asia's first women's police station but their research proves that it is also the World's first All-Women Police (AWP) station that has been established. 

India's first all-women police station in Kozhikode, Kerala, represents a significant step forward in addressing gender-based violence and promoting the safety and empowerment of women. This trailblazing initiative serves as a testament to the commitment to gender equality and justice in the region and has inspired similar efforts throughout the country.

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