Three Decades of Research on Women Police: What Has Been Learned?

The development of women in India is tied closely to the economic and social conditions prevailing in the society at large. There are already signs of change in the public's attitude towards women. This chapter describes the structure and function of the police before describing the history of women's entry into the Indian police service, their deployment, and the progress they have made to date in policing. Changes in the status of women in policing in the 1980s are related to changes that began in the two previous decades relative to society's laws, norms, and values; the police informal subculture; and departmental policies and practices. Many state police also created women's cells and all women police stations, in response to recommendations made by the National Police Commission. Of the 35 states and Union territories in India, 19 have now introduced women police stations.