A parliamentary panel has observed that the number of women in police forces is “abysmally” low, constituting just 10.3 per cent, and suggested at least one all-women police station be established in each district in the country.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Home Affairs, headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma, also said that a roadmap should be laid out to increase their representation in the police force to 33 per cent.
“The committee is anguished to note that women are abysmally under-represented in the police force as they constitute only 10.3 per cent of the police force,” it said in its report submitted to Parliament this week.
The panel recommended that the MHA should advise states and UTs to establish at least one all-women police station in each district.
Further, the committee said, the appointment of women in police may be done by creating additional posts rather than converting vacant posts of male constables as it will also help in improving the police-population ratio in the country.
“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,” it said.
The committee noted that the MHA has advised the states and UTs that each police station should have at least three women sub-inspectors and 10 women constables so that a women's help desk is manned round the clock.
The panel recommended that the BPR&D may be tasked to assess the performance of the women's help desks.
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