Adhering to the gender difference in police forces, a parliamentary panel has suggested that every district must have a women police station.
Based on the panel’s observations, the number of women in police forces is abysmally low as women constitute only 10.3 per cent of police force.
Speaking about ways to uplift women, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Home Affairs said that a roadmap must be laid forth to improve women’s representation in the police force to 33 per cent.
The report submitted by the panel headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma said, “The committee is anguished to note that women are abysmally under-represented in the police force as they constitute only 10.3 percent of the police force.”
The parliamentary panel recommended that the MHA must advise states and UTs to set up at least one all-women police station in each district. It further said that women must be added to the police force by introducing additional posts instead of converting vacant posts of male constables. This will ensure good police-population ratio in the country.
The panel states, “Besides increasing the percentage of women in police, taking a cue from the defence forces where women are being assigned combative roles, the MHA may also advise the states and UTs to give them important challenging duties central to the police, and not just duties of inconsequence”.
As per the parliamentary panel, the MHA has advised that states and UTs must have at least three women sub-inspectors and 10 women constables. The panel recommended that the BPR&D can help to assess the performance of the women’s help desks.
