The Glorious Journey of Women in Indian Police JOURNEY OF WOMEN IN KHAKI There is no field, no opportunity and no possibility that has Women in the police force of India are no exception either. been left un-attempted by the contemporary women. As a Every day, they battle gender restraints, lack of proper result of the triumphs and struggles faced by the twentieth training and recruitment facilities and the evil face of century women, we currently witness a planet that offers an patriarchy. And yet, one lakh strong women police force know equal primacy to women. Today, it is high time that we revise that they’re paving the way for more success and inspiring our conceptions of male jobs and feminism. A woman in no other women to join the force. way loses her feminine values, if she measures up to a job which for time immemorial was the domain of man. Indian women are ousting stereotypes and flipping the gender scales wherever they go. Public transport drivers, jockeys, sportswomen, business entrepreneurs, bike riders they’re challenging patriarchy and proving that they can also join spaces earlier dominated by men. There is no job specifically marked out just for a man or just for a woman. 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 was the first woman IPS officer to be appointed in 1972. Cont… Indira Gandhi inaugurated a full-fledged woman-only police station in when Kozhikode, Kerala, in 1973. encouraging women citizens to report crimes. The amendments According to the Bureau of Police Research and Development, made to tighten laws against rape and sexual offences have Ministry of Home Affairs, about 14% of police in Chandigarh are strengthened a woman police officer’s importance within the women. Tamil Nadu and Andaman & Nicobar Islands come next in the force. Presently, our nation has 548 all-women stations to make list with 12% and 11%, respectively, while Meghalaya, Nagaland and legal justice more accessible to women. Tamil Nadu has the Assam have the least number of women cops which is reportedly highest number of women-only police stations, followed by Uttar below 3%. The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) notes in Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. a report that in 2014, Haryana had doubled its woman police force, constituting 6.5% of the total force. Similarly, Rajasthan’s women force tripled between 2008 and 2014. To fix the skewed representation of women, the government has announced a 33% reservation for women in the police force. Many state governments have also carried out extensive recruitment drives. Women police officers are a force to reckon with as they break gender typecast and carve a forte for themselves with their strong personalities. They can be trained to be more sensitive and objective it comes to crimes against women, while also Talking about Central Paramilitary Forces, CRPF was the first paramilitary force to raise all women battalion, 88(M) in 1986 and has maximum number i.e. 6 all women battalions which are functional in different parts of the country. The all women battalions have been winning laurels in operations including overseas. Women were first inducted in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in the rank of Constables in the year 1987, Sub-Inspectors in the year 1990 and Assistant Sub-Inspectors Cont… in the year 2010. Mrs. Alka Nanda Dash was the First woman for DGP and ADGP while there are 1,234 women inspectors, out of Assistant Commandant who joined CISF in 1989. CISF has six percent 31,000. Let us all salute these women IPS officers placed across of women in its workforce, the highest among Central Armed the nation, who undisputedly play as role models for a better and paramilitary forces. BSF started recruiting women in the year 2013. brighter India, incessantly inspiring women to adopt challenging Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) allowed women officers in supervisory professions. Ever since the first lady donned the attire of an IPS combat roles in 2014. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) allowed Officer, walked out of NPA, innumerable lady officers followed women officers in supervisory combat roles in 2016. About 1.75% suit and have come a long way from international awards to (1,500) of 80,000 ITBP personnel are women, mostly in the rank of decorations for gallantry and distinguished services. They did it constables. all and demonstrated their worth, both as officers and leaders. According to the data from CHRI, women constitute 16 out of 396 posts Born in Shimla in 1947 Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya was the second IPS officer of India and also the first woman to become Director General of Police and a first IPS officer in Uttar Pradesh. She also represented India in Cancun, Mexico during the Interpol meeting in 2004. She retired from service in 2007 and died at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness in the year 2019. A 1978 batch IPS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories (AGMUT), had served the Delhi Police in various capacities. Vimal Mehra also served as a DG Tihar in 2012. She launched women helpline no. 1091 as the head of the Crime against Women Cell and defense training programs for women is one of her achievements. She became the first woman who created history by getting the important position of Special Commissioner Police for the first time in the history of the Delhi Police. In 1981, Dr. Meera Chadha Borwankar became the first woman IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre where she served as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Mumbai. Meera was instrumental in ending gangsterism in the Mumbai underworld. Although she retired from service in 2017 during her service, she solved many cases include Abu Salem’s extradition, the Jalgaon sex scandal, Iqbal Mirchi, and many more. She received the President of India Police Medal for Meritorious Services in 1997 and for Distinguished Services in 2006. The movie Mardaani which was released in 2014 inspired from her. In 2019 Kerala DCP Merin Joseph IPS, and her team has solved a two-year-old child rape case and arrested the accused from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was only in June 2019 after Merin took charge as Commissioner of Kollam she stumbled upon the two-year-old case while reviewing pending cases of crime against women. Four women super-cops in Gujarat from the Anti-Terrorism Squad, in a pre-dawn operation, nabbed the most dreaded criminal in the state who had been on the run over a year. The notorious man was reportedly accused of murder, extortion and robbery. The man was caught in a forest in Botad district, Gujarat. Known as Iron Lady of Assam Sanjukta Parashar is the courageous officer who took down 16 militants. Not only this, during the 15 months in Assam, she also caught many terrorists alive and seized tons of arms and ammunition. Inspector Shakti Devi of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, currently deployed in the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has been awarded the International Female Police Peacekeeper Award 2014 for her "exceptional achievements" in her duty including her efforts towards helping victims of sexual and gender-based violence. CISF Central Industrial Security Force came into existence in 1969 to provide integrated security cover to sensitive and vital Public Sector Undertakings with a strength of only three battalions. Women were first inducted in CISF to the rank of Constables in the year 1987, Sub-Inspectors in the year 1990 and Assistant Sub-Inspectors in the year 2010. Till date a total of 9,320 Women Personnel are serving CISF. NSG The National Security Guard (NSG), commonly known as Black Cats, it is an elite counter-terrorism unit of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was founded on 16 October 1984 under the National Security Guard Act, 1986. National Security Guard (NSG) (Black Cat Commandos) inducted female commandos for the first time in 2011–12. ASSAM RIFLES The Assam Rifles came into being in 1835, as a militia called the ‘Cachar Levy’. With approximately 750 men, this Force was formed to primarily protect British Tea estates and their settlements against tribal raids. In April 2016, Assam Rifles inducted a first batch of 100 female soldiers who have been performing their duties well in the assigned operations. In August 2020, around 30 rifle-women from Assam Rifles were deployed along the LoC for the first time. They were led by Captain Gursimran Kaur of the Army Service Corps. Assam Rifles has a total no. of 1,858 women personnel till date. CRPF The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is India's largest Central Armed Police Force. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and counter-insurgency. It came into existence as the Crown Representative's Police on 27 July 1939. After Indian independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28 December 1949. The first Mahila Bn in CRPF, the 88(M) Bn was raised on 6th February 1986. This Mahila Battalion holds the distinction of being the first all women battalion in the world. At present CRPF is the only Para Military Force in the Country which has 06 battalions serving various parts of the country. In 2014, CRPF had deployed a special squad of women troops inside jungles to undertake active and prolonged operations against Naxalites. With the induction of these CRPF commandos in their trademark camouflaged 'Khaki' uniform, India has become one of those few countries to deploy women personnel in live combat situations in one of the most violent and high threat theatres of conflict. SSB Sashastra Seema Bal ( Trans Armed Border Force) is a border guarding force of India deployed along its borders with Nepal and Bhutan. The Sashastra Seema Bal was originally set up under the name Special Service Bureau (abbreviated SSB) on 15 March 1963. SSB became the first border guarding force to induct women into the Force in June 2008 when seven Companies of women personnel were inducted for border guarding duties. As of now there are total 3,610 women serving the SSB. ITBP The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is India's primary border patrol organization for its border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The ITBP was raised on 24th October, 1962 during the Indo-China War. In 2010 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) set up a women battalion after 209 women constables joined the force. As of now there are total no. of 2,518 women personnel are serving the ITBP. RPF Railway Protection Force is a security force under the ownership of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, Government of India established by the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957; enacted by the Indian Parliament for "the better protection and security of railway property and passenger area". The percentage of women in the RPF is the highest among all central paramilitary forces in India. It stands at 10% as of March 2019. Railway Protection Force (RPF) has female unit, Shakti Squad. In 2015, 25-year-old Debashmita Chattopadhyay became first female Assistant Security Commissioner (ASC) in RPF who took charge of the Shakti squad of RPF women constables. NDRF The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is an Indian specialized force constituted "for the purpose of special response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster" under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) got its first woman commander in 2015 when 40-years old senior Commandant Rekha Nambiar joined the 4th Battalion based in Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu to lead 1,000 personnel-strong all-men battalion. Every NDRF battalion is sanctioned to have 108 women combatants. BSF The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organization on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1965 for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected there with. In 2009 about 1,000 women were inducted for combat duties for the first time in Border Security Force and 1st women battalion was formed in the year 2010. As of now a total 7,391 women are serving the BSF. Nirbhaya Fund The government has established the Nirbhaya Fund for women’s safety and security projects, for which the Ministry of Women and Children is responsible. Under the Nirbhaya Fund, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has also undertaken several initiatives such as training and skill development programs for Investigation Officers, Prosecution Officers, and Medical Officers, as well as the distribution of Sexual Assault Evidence Collection (SAEC) Kits to States/UTs. 181 Helpline An emergency response system has also been operationalized in States and UTs since 2018-19. The PanIndia women helpline helps in the dispatch of local resources for the rescue of women from situations of distress. The 181 helpline has also been integrated as a quick-dial feature on the Truecaller app. This integration has led to over 4000 calls being made daily to the Delhi Commission of Women for help and rescue. Daily calls jumped by 200% due to increased awareness about the helpline. One Stop Centers (OSCs) For women that have endured violence, one stop centers (OSCs) have been established with psycho-social and mental health care facilities that women in distress may need for support and Swadhar Grehs for women who face difficult situations and destitution. 733 OSCs have been approved for 730 districts across the country, out of which 704 OSCs have been operationalised in 35 States/ UTs, which have assisted over 4.50 lakh women. The setting up of OSCs from the year 2015 onward, at district level, have provided a dedicated platform to women facing violence and who are in distress to get necessary help and assistance, which was not available earlier. CCPWC Scheme Under the “Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) Scheme," the Ministry of Home Affairs has provided financial assistance to states/UTs for capacity-building activities toward the establishment of cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories, and for the training of cyber consultants, public prosecutors and judicial officers. Meri Saheli Launched as pilot project of Railway Protection Force (RPF), the Meri Saheli initiative has been expanded to all the railway zones. Under this initiative, the security of lady passengers that are travelling by train is ensured by a dedicated team of women police officers team. As of June, 2 lakh 25 thousand women have been provided with end to end security (covering from 223 283 teams stations) of trained police officers. On an average, 1,125 deployed per day. women are New Delhi Special Police Unit for Women & Children It is a special body of the Delhi Police, which aims to safeguard the rights of women and children in the Capital. The Unit actively works with NGOs, Schools, Colleges and private partners to build a safe ecosystem for women day. It provides the following services: • Counseling Wing and Social Workers Services • Meditation Cell • Helplines • Public Grievances Cell Tejaswini Women Safety Empowerment Campaign and Pink Booths have been established in areas of Delhi with high footfall to provide women with safe public zones and a complaint redressal system. Over 500 PCR vans have also been stationed near schools and colleges throughout the capital to ensure the safety of female students. Distressed women can opt to be dropped off at their homes safely at night through PCR vans. Task Force for Women’s Safety in Public Transportation Task force for women’s safety in public transportation works to improve women’s safety and their experience with public transportation in Delhi. In Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, the Delhi Government has deployed 13000 women marshals that have been trained to prevent violence against women. Additionally, Delhi government is also installing CCTV cameras and panic buttons in 5500 buses. Each bus will have 3 cameras and 10 panic buttons so that passengers can summon any assistance in any emergency situation. Telangana Special Cell Harassment to Report Online KT Rama Rao, the IT Minister of Telangana, announced the setting up of a dedicated cell to encourage women to report online harassment at the #CallItOut because #ItsNotOK. This initiative is Truecaller and News18 Network’s nationwide public awareness campaign that educates and empowers women to report and combat harassment. SHE Teams SHE Teams is a division of Telangana Police for enhanced safety and security of women. At present, there are 331 SHE teams working in Telangana state. Offenders are counseled along with their family members and the police maintains a database of offenders to monitor and prevent future harassment of women. Odisha Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW) Separate cell Started in 2021, the special wing is responsible for monitoring and supervising special cases involving women, children, and other sensitive crimes. The special wing will research trends and patterns in all types of crimes against women and children across the state in order to develop strategies for detection, prosecution, and prevention of such crimes, as well as improved counseling strategies for victims and juvenile offenders. Kerala State Women’s Cell State women’s cell monitors any delays or shortfalls in the investigation of crimes against women and ensures district police chiefs take the right steps. The women’s cell works with women’s forum and non- governmental organizations to provide counseling to distressed women. The cell has also been tasked with training women on atrocities against women. Each district has women police stations each headed by a woman police inspector. Women Safety Year In 2020, the state observed a Women Safety Year where districts were instructed to collaborate and establish a women crime investigation team comprising of female inspectors and police personnel for the investigation of major crime cases involving female victims. These teams were drawn from the State Women Cell to streamline police investigation. In Kollam City, the state had also rolled out a pilot project called the ‘Surakshitha’ to encourage and enable women to walk alone at night. Aparajitha is Online To combat online harassment of women and girls, the Kerala police have launched the ‘Aparajitha is Online’ initiative. It is a quick response mechanism developed for grievance redressal that maintains the victim’s and her family’s confidentiality while trying to identify and locate offenders. The Cyber Cell, District Cyber Cell, HI-Tech Cell, CyberDome provide their expert assistance in the reporting and prevention of such crimes. Maharashtra Crime Against Women Unit The Maharashtra government has set up a special police unit to tackle crime against women and children in every district of the state. The unit investigates various serious and domestic offences against women. The unit also has a counseling cell which provides counseling services to women in distress and those that have suffered domestic violence. Nirbhaya Squad The Mumbai Police has established 91 Nirbhaya squads consisting of specially trained women to combat crime against women. Tamil Nadu Kavalan SOS App for Women In 2018, the Tamil Nadu police launched the Kavalan SOS app that citizens can use to alert the police if they are caught in emergency situations. This app has an SOS button that sends a panic signal along with the user’s current location and a video recording from the back camera to the police control room. The service is available 24*7 and the police encouraged women and the elderly to use the app in times of need. More recently in 2022, the government launched the Kaaval Uthavi app with 60 features that can be used by citizens, especially women, if they need emergency help from the police. Besides sending an alert and the victim’s location to the police, users are also notified about the nearest patrol vehicle/police facility. Assam Special Cells for Women and Community Approach On June 8 2022, Assam Police launched the “Special Cells for Women and Community Approach” in 10 districts of Assam. The Special Cells will provide a place for women victims to receive social assistance and avail professional psychological and legal services. The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has signed a MoU with the Assam Government and will be manning these Special Cells through social workers, counselors and state coordinators. Haryana Durga Shakti App In 2018, Haryana Police launched a mobile app for women’s safety. The app provides a platform for women to seek immediate help from police in times of distress and can be downloaded from both Google and Apple play stores. In the event of an emergency, the user’s location coordinates are immediately sent to the Durga Shakti app helpline number and a police team from the nearest police station is dispatched to aid the distressed women. Additionally, an SMS is sent to the user’s emergency contact number. So far, over 2 lakh people have downloaded the app for women’s safety. According to Haryana Police, preventive action has been taken in 33 matters and over 1,100 issues were resolved. Jharkhand Shakti App The state has launched a women’s safety app called ‘Shakti’ that allows women to send a distress call to the police in the control room and their relatives/friends directly in case of any emergency. Currently, the app is available for download on the Google play store. To help women report crimes and harassment, the Jharkhand police has established a women helpline number9771432103. West Bengal Winner Squad In 2018, the state government launched an all-women patrolling team termed ‘The Winners Squad’. The squad is a specialized police force that has been trained in self-defense and aims to keep public spaces safe for women. To prevent crimes against women, these squads are equipped with scooters for district-level patrolling. Previously only present at the Bidhan Nagar Commissionerates, and the Siliguri Police West Bengal Cabinet in April 2022 announced the formation of such squads in all districts and commissionerates throughout the state. Punjab Crime Against Women and Children (Prevention) Cell Constituted in 2001, the Crime against Women and Children (Prevention) Cell, in Ludhiana is a collaboration between district police officers, counseling professionals and volunteers from the society. The cell counsels victims of crime and helps them in recovering from their traumatic experiences, advises them on appropriate legal action and prevents future crime against the victim. Himachal Pradesh Veerangana on Wheels Himachal Pradesh Police has launched a program under which female cops at all the 135 police stations of the state have been provided two-wheelers to respond to the crime against women. 'Veerangana on Wheels' has been initiated under Nirbhaya Scheme. This initiative has increased the mobility of law enforcement agencies many fold thereby providing help and support to the victims of crime against women. Shakti Button App Launched on 26 January 2018, Shakti Button App is an initiative of Himachal Pradesh Police in association with the National Informatics Centre, Himachal Pradesh. It is meant to help citizens (women in particular) who are in distress and need help. The App provides innovative mechanisms to set up to three emergency contacts to the App user from the device's contact list. As the name suggests, this App is in the form of a red button which a user can easily press when in distress. This triggers an alarm at the Command Centre in Shimla and the three preset emergency contacts of the App user. A call is immediately sent to the user inquiring about the distress situation, followed by a call to the nearest Police Station to address the issue. This initiative is hugely successful. Legislations to Safeguard Women • Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 • Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 • Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 • Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 • Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 • Criminal Law (Amendment) Acts 2013 and 2018 which have now been incorporated into IPC, Cr.P.C. and Indian Evidence Act 1st NCWP Venue : New Delhi Year : 2002 Theme - ‘Forging a New Future’ Deliberations: • Strategic management approach for dealing with gender issues. • Personal & professional development of women in the police. • Perceptions of men and women, family and community towards women in the police. • Startup of a sharing, learning and knowledge forum for women in police. 2nd NCWP Venue : Mussoorie, Uttarakhand Theme - ‘Mainstreaming of Women in Police’ Deliberations: • Training needs and altitude change. • Life style management for women in police. • Work place environment including sexual harassment at the work place. • Policy and interaction. Year : 2005 3rd NCWP Venue : Panchkula, Haryana Year : 2009 Theme - ‘Optimizing the Contribution of Women in Police to the Organization& Society’ Deliberations: • Mainstreaming of Women. • Professional Grooming. • Contribution to Society. 4th NCWP Venue : Bhubaneshwar, Odisha Theme - ‘Women in Police as Agents of Change’ Deliberations: • Organizational response to increase number of women in police. • Women Police as change agents in Police Organization. • Career planning of women in police. Year : 2010 5th NCWP Venue : Thrissur, Kerala Theme - ‘Women in Police: Making a Difference’ Deliberations: • Women police & social development. • Women Police: Professionalism & capacity building. • Global perspective of Women in Police. Year : 2012 6th NCWP Venue : Guwahati, Assam Year : 2014 Theme - ‘Women Police: Rising to the Challenges of Indian Society’ Deliberations: • Professionalism & Capacity Building. • Attitudinal changes &meeting the expectations of society. • Induction of more women in police force. 7th NCWP Venue : CRPF, Gurugram Theme - ‘Capacity Building & Leadership’ Deliberations: • Role of Women in Conflict Resolution. • Work and Life Balance. • Creating Gender – Sensitive Work Infrastructure & Equipment. • Strategies to Handle Human Trafficking. Year : 2016 8th NCWP Venue : Ranchi, Jharkhand Year : 2018 Theme - ‘Empowered Work Spaces & Conducive Work Environment Amidst Neo Policing Formats’ Deliberations: • Unheard voices of women in CAFP/Polices Force – Gender Neutral working places. • Varied perspective and management of sexual harassment at work places. • Role of women in smart cities. • Women in community-oriented policing. 9th NCWP Venue : New Delhi Theme - ‘Promoting Good Practices and Standards’ Deliberations: • Cyber Stalking and Bullying of women: Steps for protection. • Challenges faced by CAPF women in operational areas. Year : 2020 To Enhance the Leadership Potential of Women Police Officers 10th National Conference of Women Police Officers was held on 21&22-08-2022 with a theme “To Enhance the Leadership Potential of Women Police Officers” at Shimla. Starting with an exhibition depicting women force, the conference proceeded through a short film on amalgamation of culture, ethics, women empowerment and rights for women in Himachal Pradesh, lectures by eminent speakers, panel discussions on various issues and the challenges women police officers face while performing duties at all levels, dinner by hon’ble Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and concluded with a strong message of implementing the results of discussions on ground level by Hon’ble Governor of Himachal Pradesh Sh. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. Ms. Satwant Atwal Trivedi, IPS (HP:1996) There is a dire need of designing women friendly gear and uniforms. Women need to be supported with infrastructure and basic facilities instead of providing laxity in duty or accusing them of non performers. Striving for Gender equality is essential, the focus must be on practicality in the workplace instead of appeasing to gender roles. Sh. Shri Sangram Nishandar, IPS (Maharashtra:2015) Concept of “Police Didi” in Mumbai was a revolutionary step in increasing awareness amongst school children regarding good touch and bad touch. This concept should be replicated throughout the country so children of tender ages could be saved from getting molested. Ms. Manjari Zaruhar, IPS, Retd. “Turn every challenge into opportunity”, is the message given by Ms. Manjuri Zaruhar, Retired IPS and the first woman IPS from Bihar in 1976. Known for her compassion and the empathetic Outlook, she emphasized on maintaining femininity in police service because police services need the touch of empathy and care that a woman brings with her. Sh. Sanjay Kundu, IPS, DGP, HP The crime is not on the streets but it is in the minds. We need to tap the minds instead of searching for it on the streets. According to Peter F. Drucker, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”. If poverty can be measured, so the crime. With this thinking, he has devised creation database to record offenders of crime against women and children. He has also coined a new scheme called “Victim Witness Protection Officers (VWSO)” in order to improve upon the conviction rate of cases of crime against women. “Veerangana On wheels”, two wheelers driven by women cops for patrolling and 146 women help desks have been established in order to fight crime against women. On his aptness to fight crime against women, he reflected his attitude through the saying “If a pin drops, he is aware of it and if a pin is about to drop, he is again aware of it.”